




LEAVING SABLE ISLAND 



ABOARD THE HYLOW 

ON SABLE ISLAND BANK 


BY 

JAMES OTIS 

4 

AUTHOR OF “the LIGHT KEEPERS,!’ “THE LIFE SAVERS,” ETC. 



NEW YORK 

E. P. DUTTON AND COMPANY 

31 West Twenty-third Street 


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UwriARYof COr^lRESS 

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SEP 3 190/* 

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CLASS A XXc., No. 
COPY ti. 


Copyright, 1907 

BY 

E. P. DUTTON & CO. 
Published, September, 1907 



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CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 

I. 

District Messenger One-One-Four . 

• 

• 

PAGE 

1 

II. 

In Hiding 

. 



• # 

• 

• 

19 

III. 

Captain Ben 

. 



• • 

• 

• 

87 

IV. 

The Captain op the Galley 

• • 

• 

• 

67 

V. 

Bad Blood . 

. 



• • 

• 

• 

73 

VI. 

Hand-Lining 

. 



• • 

• 

• 

90 

VII. 

A Long Pull 

. 



• • 

• 

• 

107 

VIII. 

An Ugly Scrimmage 



• • 

• 


127 

IX. 

The Invalid . 

. 



• • 

• 

• 

146 

X. 

Missing . 

. 



• • 

• 

• 

166 

XI. 

Mischief 

. 



• • 

• 

• 

187 

XII. 

Trawl-Cutting 

. 



• • 


• 

207 

XIII. 

A Mystery . 

. 



• • 


• 

228 

XIV. 

Sable Island 

. 



* • 


• 

249 

XV. 

Seth’s Dream 

. 



• • 

• 

• 

272 

XVI. 

A Mishap 

. 



• 

• 

• 

292 

XVII. 

Jerry Bates . 

. 



t • 

• 

• 

313 

XVIII. 

The Home Port 




• • 

• 

• 

332 


iii 



ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

Leaving Sable Island Frontispiece 

How Long Have You Been There? . . . . 44 ✓ 

The Dory Struck Amidships, Throwing the Cook and 

His Two Assistants into the Water , , . 106 ^ 
Captain Ben in Search op the Missing Dory * . 196 ^ 
The Hylow in Bad Weather 338 


V 


ABOARD THE “HYLOW” ON 
SABLE ISLAND BANK. 


CHAPTER I. 

DWTRICT MESSENGER ONE-ONE-FOUR, 

Tim Jones should have gone directly back to the 
office after delivering the message, and no one was 
better aware of such fact than Tim himself. It was 
well known among the corps of district messengers 
at the station on Exchange Street that No. 114 could 
never resist the temptation, when in pursuance of 
duty he found himself on one of the piers, and many 
times had the manager distinctly told him that unless 
he reformed in this respect his services would be 
dispensed witji regardless of the commercial interests 
of the city. 

Tim Jones had not entered the employ of the 
Western Union Telegraph Company with any idea 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


of distinguishing himself in that particular field of 
labor. It had become necessary, so his mother de- 
clared, that he earn something toward the support 
of the family, and she had been very emphatic in her 
refusal to allow him to become a sailor. 

Tim’s one desire was to ship, in whatsoever capac- 
ity might be possible, on one of the many vessels sail- 
ing from Portland; given his choice he would have 
preferred to have become a fisherman ; failing in an 
advantageous opening in that career, he was willing 
to join any vessel, believing firmly that he was des- 
tined by nature to become one of the most skilful, 
daring, and successful ship-masters known in history. 

However, Tim’s mother stood between him and his 
great ambition, and, as has been said, whenever his 
duties as district messenger carried him to the water 
front of the city, he spent much more time in admir- 
ing the fishermen, coasters, and yachts, than the rules 
of the office permitted. 

Now all this is by way of explanation as to how 
Tim Jones chanced to be on Custom-House wharf at 
nine o’clock in the morning on the fifth day of last 
May, having delivered a message to Messrs. Leavitt 
& Bangs, dealers in fish, fully half an hour before 
the moment when he began to play a part in this 
story. 

Tim had been spending the time, which rightfully 


DISTRICT MESSENGER ONE-ONE-FOUR. 3 


belonged to the telegraph company, in inspecting a 
new addition to the fishing fleet which lay alongside 
the pier near the office he had visited. In order to 
satisfy himself thoroughly regarding this new craft, 
it seemed necessary he should gain a point of view on 
the opposite side of a large number of casks which 
had been tiered up as if to be put on board this par- 
ticular vessel which had attracted his attention. 
Almost any other lad would have walked around the 
obstruction ; but Master Jones was ever ready to 
show his agility, believing it his one strong recom- 
mendation in case he should ever be so fortunate as to 
ship as a sailor, and therefore clambered directly 
over the top. 

In so doing he discovered, much to his surprise, in 
a space which had been left by the awkward stowing 
of the casks, a lad apparently about his own age, 
who seemed to be in hiding there. 

“ Hello,” said Tim, coming to a full stop with 
the air of one who is not pressed for time. “ Who 
sent you below so early in the morning.? ” 

The stranger looked up as if in alarm, but made 
no reply, and Tim clambered down among the casks 
until standing face to face with this fellow who to 
his mind was acting so oddly. Then, deliberately tak- 
ing a newspaper from his pocket, he folded it care- 
fully, saying half to himself: 


4 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


“ I ’m a duffer if you ain’t the very fellow ! ” 

‘‘ Have they got it in there ? ” the stranger asked 
with every evidence of alarm. 

“ True as you live. I was readin’ it this mornin’, 
an’ thinkin’ what a mighty lucky kid you was.” 

“ Did they send you to hunt for me ” 

“ Of course they did n’t. I don’t go ’round 
huntin’ for folks. I ’m Messenger One-one-four, an’ 
came down here on business ; but of course the 
steamship people are goin’ to stop you if they can. 
Mike Ahearn told me it was a mighty serious thing 
for them to lose a fellow like you. There was a 
man here last winter who got away, an’ I don’t know 
how many hundred dollars the company had to pay 
’cause he skipped.” 

“ Did they catch him.^ ” the stranger asked 
eagerly. 

“ I did n’t ask Mike about that ; but see here, why 
would n’t they let you land ? ” 

“ Don’t it tell in the paper.? ” 

‘‘ Perhaps it does. I did n’t have time to read it 
over more ’n once.” 

“ Look an’ see. It may be I ain’t the fellow you 
think I am.” 

Tim looked carefully over the paper, passing the 
end of a much soiled finger down each column until 
having found that which he sought, and then, with no 


DISTRICT MESSENGER ONE-ONE-FOUR. 5 


slight difficulty, for Master Jones was not a highly 
educated lad, he read the following, spelling out the 
long words and giving to others a pronunciation 
which would not have been recognized by ordinary 
students : 


“Another Case of Deportation. 

“ When the steamship Levonia arrived yesterday 
morning there was among her passengers a boy of 
fifteen years old or thereabouts who, if his story be 
true, is in a sad plight. His name is Seth Garland, 
and he claims to have been born in Meredith, New 
Hampshire. According to his story, his father died 
two years ago, and his mother, an English woman, 
took him with her to Liverpool where her parents re- 
side. Two months ago Joshua Garland, the lad’s 
uncle, visited the old country, and then decided, with 
the consent of the mother, to legally adopt the lad 
Seth, intending to bring him home — but where, the 
boy is unable to say. 

“ Now it seems, and in this portion of the story the 
purser of the Levonia bears out the lad’s statement, 
Joshua Garland secured second-cabin passage on the 
Levonia for himself and his nephew, paying for the 
tickets several days in advance of the day of sailing. 
These passengers came aboard the steamer two hours 
before the advertised time for departure, and, so the 


6 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


boy says, Mr. Garland left him in their cabin, stating 
that it was his purpose to go ashore to transact some 
business near by the dock. Certain it is he went 
ashore, and equally certain that he failed to return ; 
but whether by accident or intention it is impossible 
to say. The stand which the Immigration Commis- 
sioners take is that the uncle intended to abandon the 
boy, although that seems hardly probable inasmuch 
as he paid for two tickets when he might equally as 
well have purchased only one. However that may be, 
when the Levonia arrived the boy was detained, and, 
in fact, there was nothing else which could well be 
done since he was penniless and had no idea as to 
where his uncle lived. 

“ Communication was at once opened with the au- 
thorities at Meredith, where young Garland said he 
was born, but no person of that name is residing 
there. The result is that the steamship company 
will be forced to hold the lad during the stay of the 
Levonia in port, and then take him back to Liverpool.” 

“Yes, that ’s me — I ’m Seth Garland,” the 
stranger said when Tim ceased reading. “ They ’re 
goin’ to send me back, when I know my Uncle Joshua 
will come over on the very next steamer he can catch, 
for he told mother he had considerable money, an’ was 
willin’ to give me a chance to make my way in the 
world.” 


DISTRICT MESSENGER ONE-ONE-FOUR, 7 


“ If they ’re goin’ to send you back, how does it 
happen you ’re sneakin’ in here among these bar- 
rels? ” Tim asked as he rubbed his nose reflectively. 
“ I thought when a fellow was n’t allowed to land in 
this country, the folks what owned the steamer had to 
look after him mighty sharp else they ’d get into 
trouble with the President.” 

“ They locked me up in the cabin last night, an’ 
said I had to go back. Would n’t even let me go on 
the dock ; but it was no kind of a trick to get the door 
opened with this,” and Seth took from his pocket a 
horseshoe nail which had been bent to form a pick- 
lock. I crept out before daylight this mornin’, an’ 
did n’t know where to go. Must have walked much 
as an hour when I brought up here. Of course when 
the sun came up I had to hide somewhere. Am I very 
far from the steamer?” 

“ Well, I reckon you could walk down to her dock 
in three minutes, an’ not hump yourself very much 
at that.” 

‘‘ I thought I must be miles an’ miles away from 
her!” 

‘‘ Well, say, a fellow that can get mixed up in a 
little old burg like this can’t have done much travel- 
lin.’ Why, I could go ’round it with my eyes shut.” 

“ Perhaps you could n’t if it was the first time 
you was ever in the town,” Seth said mournfully, and 


8 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


then ensued a time of silence during which Tim 
stroked his chin as he gazed almost enviously at this 
lad who, without having committed any offence 
against the laws of the country, was actually fleeing 
from the officers of the law. 

“ Well, you ’ve got off so far,” Tim said finally, 
“ an’ now what ’re you go in’ to do ? ” 

“ That ’s just what I don’t know. I won’t go 
back to Liverpool if I can help it, ’cause Uncle 
Joshua will be cornin’ over mighty soon, an’ if I 
could get a letter from mother she ’d tell me where 
he lives.” 

“ Got any money ? ” 

“Not a penny.” 

“ I don’t reckon you had any breakfast, seein’ as 
how you lighted out from the steamer so early.” 

“ I can go hungry a good long spell rather than 
let them take me back. Say, can’t you tell me where 
is a good chance to hide.^ ” 

Tim studied over the matter before replying, and 
then it was as if a happy thought came to him, for 
he cried suddenly: 

“ Say, it strikes me you ’ve got the chance of your 
life ! I ’d give a pile if I had it ; this vessel layin’ 
right in sight of you is the Hylow, an’ she ’s a 
corker! Captain Ben Willard built her for a fish- 
erman, an’ I heard them say, back there in the office. 


DISTRICT MESSENGER ONE-ONE-FOUR. 9 


that she was likely to leave between now an’ to- 
morrow mornin’. These barrels are goin’ aboard her. 
They ’re filled with bait. Now it ’d be the easiest 
thing in the world to sneak on board her an’ get into 
the hold. I ’ll bet you great big money they ’d 
never find you, an’ if it was n’t for mother I ’d 
go partners with you; but no, I ’ve got to hang 
’round here an’ be One-one-four for four dollars a 
week, when I might start in as a fisherman an’ be 
somebody.” 

“ What kind of a man is this Ben Willard.^ ” 
Seth asked, as if he was seriously considering the 
suggestion. 

‘VWho? Captain Ben.? Why, he’s a dandy! 
He ’ll bring back more fish than any other man that 
goes to the Banks, an’ his vessels don’t lay at anchor 
waitin’ for a crew, I can tell you. By jimminy! I 
wish I was you ! ” 

“ I wish you was,” Seth said with a long-drawn 
sigh. “ If you think it ’s any fun to have to go back 
to England, where mother’s just about as poor as 
poor can be, when you had a chance to live with 
your Uncle Joshua, it ’s a pity you can’t have a piece 
of it.” 

‘‘ Well, go off on the Hylow, an’ by the time you 
get back your Uncle Joshua ’ll be here. I ’ll keep 
my eye out for him.” 


10 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


“ How long do you suppose I ’ll have to hide in the 
hold before I can get out again?” 

“ Well, if they have any kind of weather it can’t 
be more ’n two or three days. Look here, Seth,” and 
now Tim assumed a business-like tone as if he had 
mapped out the entire scheme in his mind. “ If you 
go fishin’ of course you ’ll make lots of money, ’cause 
they tell me that Captain Ben takes his men on 
shares. Now I ain’t so terribly well heeled; but I 
know mother ’d be willin’ to have me help you out 
of the scrape, an’ I ’ll do it. I ’ll go back to the 
office, an’ tell them that I ’m terrible sick, then I ’ll 
snoop ’round to get somethin’ for you to eat. If 
there ’s a chance, sneak right down into the hold. 
You don’t want to loaf ’round here any, ’cause there ’s 
no tellin’ when the officers of the steamer ’ll be 
lookin’ for you, an’ the crew ’ll more ’n likely put 
these casks aboard in a little while. I ’ll find you 
out wherever you are, an’ fix you up for the voyage. 
Then when you come back, it ’ll be a case of payin’ 
me off.” 

“ I ’ll do it too,” Seth said earnestly. “ The very 
first money I can earn shall be yours if you ’ll only 
help me now.” 

“ I ’ll do what I can, but you ’ve got to wiggle 
quite a bit yourself, old man, ’cause it ain’t no slouch 
of a scrape you ’re in. Now remember what I told 


DISTRICT MESSENGER ONE-ONE-FOUR. 11 

you, an’ get into the hold just as quick as you can. 
I ’ll be back before night.” 

Then Master Jones set off in the direction of Ex- 
change Street, and if any of his business associates 
had chanced to see him at that time they would have 
been decidedly surprised, if not alarmed, because of 
the rapid progress he made through the streets. 

It is to be regretted that Tim Jones did not look 
upon a wrong story such as he intended telling the 
manager in a very serious light; he allowed that the 
end justified the means, and had a vague idea that a 
lie was not a lie until it had been found out. 

“ I suppose you will have to get off if you are 
sick,” the manager of the office said when Tim, in a 
faltering voice, had said that he was suddenly “ took 
bad ” ; “ but I ’ve got my eye on you. One-one-four, 
and have had it there since your grandmother was ill 
and needed you for a nurse. We ’ll give you a chance 
to loaf if you put up many more games.” 

“ Who ’s a-puttin’ up games ? ” Tim asked indig- 
nantly. “ Do you think jest ’cause I ’ve hired out 
for four dollars a week I ain’t got the right to have 
an ache in my stomach ? ” 

“ Go on, and see to it that you are back here at six 
o’clock to-morrow morning.” 

Tim obeyed, walking feebly as if his strength had 
already forsaken him, until having turned the corner 


12 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


into the alley, when he set off at full speed for his 
home on Kennebec Street, arriving there, heated and 
breathless, much to the surprise of his mother. 

In his eagerness to tell the story quickly he lost no 
little time, for she was forced to ask many questions 
in order to get at a thorough understanding of the 
situation, and very serious did the good woman look 
after having gathered all the supposed facts. 

“ Of course I ain’t sayin’ a thing against your 
helpin’ a poor lad what ’s in trouble, Timmy, for 
that ’s your duty in this world, as I look at it ; but 
I ’m thinkin’ you had better wait till your father 
comes home, an’ we ’ll see what he has to say.” 

“ What ’s the need of waitin’ for him.? ” Tim asked 
impatiently. “ He won’t be here till twelve o’clock, 
an’ before that time the folks from the steamship 
company may gobble up Seth.” 

“ I ’m not so certain, Timmy, but that you ’d be 
gettin’ yourself into trouble by doing this thing. 
The officers might put you in jail for helping a boy 
run away like that.” 

“ Now see here. Mother, don’t let anything of that 
kind worry you. I can waltz ’round any policeman 
in this town. Who ’ll know I ’m helpin’ him ? I ’m 
goin’ to do it on the sneak, an’ it’ll be a good job 
too! I made thirty cents this momin’ outside of my 
week’s pay. Do you think that ’ll buy bologna 


DISTRICT MESSENGER ONE-ONE-FOUR. IS 


enough for him to eat while the Hylow is gettin’ out 
to sea? ” 

“ Thirty cents’ worth of bologna would go a good 
ways toward stayin’ even a growin’ boy’s appetite,” 
Mrs. Jones replied thoughtfully, forgetting her fear 
that Tim might get into difficulty with the officers of 
the law by thus aiding the fugitive. “ I can spare him 
quite a bit of bread an’ butter, an’ doughnuts, so you 
can put your money into hearty food.” 

^‘All right,” Tim replied as if he was doing his 
mother a favor by thus allowing her to assist him, 
when, as a matter of fact, the one great reason why 
he had told the story was that he believed she would 
propose to add something to the stowaway’s outfit. 
“ I wish you ’d hump yourself, ’cause Seth can’t stay 
out there on the dock very long.” 

“ But what about tellin’ your father, Timmy ? ” 

“ What ’s the use of bangin’ ’round here to do 
that? You can give him the whole yarn when he 
comes home, an’ perhaps I ’ll be back by that time. 
Anyway, it won’t do to wait a great while.” 

Mrs. Jones’s sympathies had been aroused by the 
story which her son told regarding Seth Garland, 
therefore because of such fact she put aside the pos- 
sibilities suggested by prudence, and set about mak- 
ing ready a fairly generous store of food. 

Tim was too much excited to remain silent while 


u 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


his mother was working; from his point of view the 
lad who would thus be forced to stow away on board 
a fishing vessel was one of this world’s fortunates, 
and again and again did he reiterate the wish that he 
might be permitted to join Seth in his somewhat des- 
perate undertaking. 

“ I ’m not allowin’ but that a fisherman’s callin’ 
is an honest one,” Mrs. Jones said as she spread a 
generous amount of butter upon the overly thick 
slices of bread. ‘‘ The trouble with sailors generally 
is that they ’re a shiftless lot, an’ as much as your 
heart is set on goin’ to sea, I can’t bear the thought of 
it. Your father an’ I are hopin’ you ’ll get into 
some business ashore where you can become a pros- 
perous man.” 

“Don’t you call Cap’n Ben a prosperous man.?* ” 
Tim interrupted. 

“ Why, certainly ; but then he owns three or four 
vessels, an’ is master of one of them.” 

“ Well, how do you suppose he got there.? Workin’ 
in a telegraph office for four dollars a week.? He had 
to go to sea same as other fellows did. I bet he 
ain’t shiftless when he comes ashore! Look here. 
Mother, Mike Aheam’s brother Bob earned a hundred 
an’ sixty dollars last year on the Banks, an’ he ’s get- 
tin’ a better lay this season with Captain Ben. Mike 
pays he ’ll make three or four hundred dollars if the 


DISTRICT MESSENGER ONE-ONE-FOUR. 15 


Hylow comes back with a full fare. While he ’s doin’ 
that I ’ll be just nothin’ but One-one-four, gettin’ 
about enough to pay for my uniforms and shoes.” 

“ It ’s no use to talk, it ’s no use. I won’t allow 
you to go as a sailor, leastways, until you ’re older.” 

Then, as if realizing for the first time that Tim was 
at home during working hours, she asked suddenly: 

“ How is it you ’re out of the office ? ” 

“ Well, you see. Mother, I did n’t feel very well in 
the first place, ’cause the sun ’s mighty hot when a 
fellow ’s runnin’ ’round town. Then again, I had to 
help Seth, an’ I could n’t do it if I stuck to my job.” 

“ So you ’ll lose nearly a full day’s pay? ” 

“ Well, I will if they ’re mean enough to hold it 
out when a fellow ’s sick, an’ I should n’t think they ’d 
do that ! ” 

At this moment Mrs. Jones, having made ready 
the store of food for the stowaway, came to under- 
stand that her son had told an untruth in order to 
assist the friendless lad who was hiding among the 
casks of bait on Custom-House wharf. As a matter 
of course it was her duty to read the boy a lesson on 
the subject of honest speaking, and this she began to 
do very earnestly, almost tearfully, but Master Tim 
was in far too much of a hurry to listen just then. 

“ You ’ll have to wait till I get back. Mother, in- 
deed you will. After I ’ve fixed Seth so he ’s all 


16 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


right, I ’ll come home an’ you shall have it out ; but 
I don’t think it ’s so bad to say I was sick, as to let 
them carry that poor fellow to Liverpool when he 
could go fishin’ with Cap’n Ben Willard.” 

Tim had gained possession of the package of food 
while speaking, and before his mother could make re- 
ply left the house at full speed, literally trembling 
with apprehension lest the lad who the Immigration 
Commissioners had decided must be deported was al- 
ready a prisoner again. 

His fears were increased rather than diminished 
when, arriving at the pier, he foimd the crew of the 
Hylow already putting aboard the casks of bait, and 
Seth nowhere in sight. To his mind it would have 
been in the highest degree imprudent to ask boldly 
if any one had seen a stray lad in the vicinity, and yet 
it was necessary he should know as soon as might be 
whether Seth had succeeded in gaining the schooner’s 
hold. 

While he stood there irresolutely, gazing at the 
beautiful little vessel with a desire to go on board of 
her plainly written on his face, the master of the 
Hylow came down the dock. Tim was not personally 
acquainted with this tall, thin man, whose browned 
face told of exposure to sun and storm, and who wore 
an expression of satisfaction with the world in gen- 
eral and himself in particular ; but he had met him 


DISTRICT MESSENGER ONE-ONE-FOUR, 17 

many times, and always with the hope that the most 
successful sailor out of Portland might become so 
impressed with his abilities as to offer him a berth 
aboard one of his vessels. 

Rouse that bait in there lively, boys, there ’s no 
time for sogerin’ with this wind ! You need n’t try to 
make very snug storage, for if the luck holds we ’ll 
soon have them casks unheaded.” 

Then the captain went on toward his office farther 
down the pier, and Tim understood that if he was to 
search for Seth now was the opportunity to gain 
permission. 

“ Can I go aboard your vessel, sir ? ” he cried, run- 
ning along by the side of the tall man in order to 
attract his attention. 

“Want to see the Hylow, eh.? All right, lad, go 
aboard, but don’t get into mischief, an’ have a care 
not to meddle with what don’t concern you.” 

Tim turned back, and was over the rail in a 
twinkling, coming to a stand by the combing of the 
hatchway. 

No more than four or five casks yet remained to 
be taken aboard when, at a favorable opportunity, 
he scrambled down by aid of the fall and tackle, hold- 
ing the store of food so tightly under one arm that 
the bread and doughnuts must have been pressed 
into a comparatively solid mass. 


18 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


What ’re you doin’ down here, kid ? ” a familiar 
voice cried as he scrambled over the casks, and when 
his eyes had become somewhat accustomed to the 
gloom of the hold, Tim uttered a cry of delight as he 
recognized Bob Ahearn, the brother of his friend. 

“ Cap’n Ben said I might look at the Hylow,^* 
Tim replied, feeling positive he would not be sent 
ashore immediately, and Bob Ahearn, more intent 
on his work than upon the visitor, said gruffly: 

‘‘ Goin’ into the hold of a schooner is a queer way 
of lookin’ at her, but everybody to his taste. Move 
lively, lad, and see that you don’t get a tumble.” 


CHAPTER II. 


IN HIDING. 

The hold of the Hylow was broken at the bow by 
a small cuddy which served as the cook’s quarters, 
and aft was the cabin, or living quarters of the crew. 
Both of these compartments were shut off from the 
hold by a stout bulkhead. The casks of bait, bar- 
rels of salt, and of water, made up all of the cargo 
which the Hylow was to take from port. The pro- 
visions were stored in what in larger vessels would be 
called the lazaret, meaning that space between the 
floor of the after-cabin and the skin of the vessel. 

Therefore it was that Tim Jones would have little 
difficulty in ascertaining the whereabouts of Seth 
Garland, if so be that lad had not already been carried 
back to the Levoniay but he could not loiter around in 
the hold as if searching while Bob Ahearn and his 
mate were stowing the casks, lest they should suspect 
his purpose. 

Still pressing the package of food tightly under 
his arm, he went forward and aft in an aimless way, 
clambering over the casks and barrels as if bent on 

19 


20 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


ascertaining the condition of the ship’s timbers, un- 
til, fortunately, as it seemed, some one on the pier 
called to Ahearn, and his helper followed him on 
deck, leaving Master Jones alone in the hold. 

Now was come his time, and believing it would be 
limited he moved quickly around, calling in a cautious 
tone the name of the boy he was so eager to befriend. 

At the very moment when Tim had come to be- 
lieve that the officers of the law had captured the lad, 
he saw dimly, in the gloom of the after part of the 
hold, a small figure rise up from amid the tier of 
water-casks, and his search was at an end. 

“ I ’ve got some stuff here that mother sent,” Tim 
began hurriedly in a whisper, “ an’ I ’m goin’ to 
spend thirty cents on bologna. I ’d bought it on my 
way down, but I was n’t certain whether you had kept 
out of sight of the steamship folks, so did n’t want to 
take the chance of wastin’ the money. I ’ll go right 
back for it as soon as I see how you ’re fixed.” 

Seth was not ‘‘ fixed ” in any very sumptuous 
manner. He had plunged himself into the first va- 
cant space which promised to afford a hiding place, 
and this chanced to be very much the same as that on 
the pier — a small space between two of the casks and 
the bulkhead of the after-cabin. 

“ Well, this is what I call pretty snug,” Tim said 
as he dropped over by the side of his friend, and so 


IN HIDING. 


21 

small was the aperture that, when the two lads had 
stooped down to hide themselves from view of any 
who might come through the hatchway, they com- 
pletely filled up the space. “No matter how much 
she may roll an’ pitch you can’t be knocked about a 
great deal.” 

“ Do you suppose I ’ll have to stay here very 
long.? ” Seth asked anxiously, for he had already 
come to understand that this place was altogether too 
“ snug ” for comfort. 

“ Well, I reckon it can’t be more ’n two or three 
days if they have fair wind. You see she ’s got to 
run down to the Banks before they take the hatches 
I off, an’ it won’t do for you to let on you ’re here till 
they ’ve got to the fishing grounds.” 

“Where ’ll I sleep?” 

“ Oh, there ’s plenty of chance for that. It 
would n’t be a bad bed right here on these barrels. 
You see it ain’t like as if the Hylow had a full cargo, 
for you ’ve got all the room a fellow could want. I 
wish I was goin’ with you ! ” 

Just then the boys were startled by what sounded 
like a heavy blow on the deck, and at the same in- 
stant the hold was shrouded in darkness. 

“ What has happened ? ” Seth cried in alarm, and 
Tim replied in a matter-of-fact tone: 

“ They have only put on the hatch.” 


22 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


“ Do you mean that they have shut us in here ? ” 

‘‘ Nothin’ to hurt. When I get ready to go I ’ll 
holler for Bob Ahearn to take off the hatch, or per- 
haps I could shove it up far enough to squeeze 
through.” 

Then Tim groped about with his hands to find a 
space between the casks sufficient to serve as a cup- 
board for his friend, and when this had been done 
he explained how the lad was to make himself 
comfortable. 

“ You ’ve got to have some water, an’ I ’ll bring 
it when I come with the bologna, if I can find a 
couple of empty bottles somewhere. You want to 
keep mighty quiet, ’cause if Cap’n Ben gets the idee 
that there ’s anybody stowed away here, there ’ll be 
the very old mischief to pay.” 

“ But how ’re you going to get down here again 
with the water an’ the bologna, if the hatch is on.? ” 
Seth asked anxiously, and Tim replied airily: 

“ Don’t you bother your head about me. I ’m a 
pretty good sailor, even if I never went to sea, an’ 
you ’ll find I can snoop ’round most any of these ves- 
sels. Besides, there ’s Bob Ahearn ; he ’s a friend 
of mine. I reckon Mike’s brother an’ Cap’n Ben 
would let me go anywhere I wanted to.” 

Then Tim began telling his companion what he 
would do if fortune had so far favored him that he 


IN HIDING. 


23 


could play the part of stowaway as the first step to- 
ward becoming a ship’s owner and master, painting 
such alluring pictures of a sailor’s life that Seth for- 
got his own troubles as he sympathized with the lad 
who was not permitted, because of cruel-hearted par- 
ents, to thus fit himself for a fisherman. 

In addition to explaining what he would like to do, 
and how cosey it would be if the two could stow away 
together, Tim had many stories to tell of acquaint- 
ances who had won fortunes, and, perhaps, honor in 
the fishing business, for he had used many such 
anecdotes as arguments when he tried to persuade his 
parents into allowing him to ship as a sailor. 

District Messenger One-one-four had never suc- 
ceeded in measuring time very accurately. He had 
loitered here or there when having been sent with 
messages, as inclination and fear of the officer-mana- 
ger permitted, until he was really a spendthrift so 
far as the moments were concerned. On this oc- 
casion, when he had so much to say to his newly- 
found friend, there were so many fascinations for him 
while he remained snugly in the hold of the Hylow, 
that fully two hours must have passed before he be- 
thought himself that it was necessary he purchase 
the bologna and procure the water in order to make 
certain Seth’s voluntary imprisonment might not 
become painful. 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 




As he clambered up on the casks it seemed to him 
that the schooner heeled slightly over, and there was 
a rippling, rushing sound along the sides of the hold ; 
but so intent was Master Jones upon this scheme of 
baffling the Immigration Commissioners that he gave 
no heed to the matter until having groped his way 
to the stanchions supporting the combings of the 
hatch. Then it was he found that, stretch his arms 
as he might, it was impossible to reach the planking 
above him. 

“ You ’ll have to come here an’ give me a boost up, 
Seth,” he whispered hoarsely. “ I did n’t think, 
when I came down here, that the hold was so deep. 
I can’t even touch the hatch.” 

Seth laid no claim to being a sailor, even though 
he had so lately landed from a voyage across the 
ocean, and considerable time was required for him 
to make his way over the casks, particularly in the 
darkness, to where Tim stood. 

Then, following carefully the instructions of his 
friend, he lifted while Master Jones shinned up the 
stanchion, and acted the part of footstool when Tim 
pounded and pushed on the heavy hatch above him. 

“ Say, it don’t give an inch,” the messenger boy 
whispered impatiently. “ Do you s’pose they have 
fastened it down ? ” 

“ I don’t know what they do aboard fishing ves- 


IN HIDING, 


25 


sels, for I never was on one before,” Seth replied, 
failing to understand the possibilities of the situation. 

“ But I tell you we ’re locked down here ! ” Tim 
cried in alarm as he made one more effort to raise the 
heavy covering of planks before descending from his 
perch on Seth’s shoulder. Just like as not we ’ll 
have to stay here till to-morrow morning, an’ I 
have n’t got the water ! Ain’t it hot here ! Don’t 
you feel thirsty.?” 

‘‘ I could drink a little if I had it ; but I ’d rather 
have something to eat, ’cause I did n’t get breakfast 
when I left the steamer.” 

“ Well, it begins to look as if you ’d have time to 
eat all you want before we get out of here. What 
do you s’pose mother ’ll think when I don’t come 
home.? We ’ve got to do something to make ’em let 
me out of here. Can’t you find a club so ’s we can 
pound on the deck an’ let Bob Aheam know where 
I am.?” 

It was by no means a simple matter to find any- 
thing in the hold, for there was no glimmer of light 
amid the darkness, and it was exceedingly difficult to 
make one’s way over the tiers of barrels; but Dis- 
trict Messenger One-one-four was becoming alarmed 
at being thus imprisoned, and made frantic efforts to 
find something which would answer his purpose. The 
bottom of the hold, however, was completely covered 


26 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


by casks, and if there had been any pieces of timber 
lying around before the cargo was taken aboard, 
they would not now have been within reach of the 
boys. Search as they might, it was impossible to 
find anything which would answer their purpose, 
and when perhaps half an hour had passed, they hav- 
ing come once more to the stanchion under the 
hatch-combing, Tim exclaimed half in fear, half in 
what he intended should be a cheery tone : 

“ Mother ’ll think I ran away to be a sailor, an’ 
it ’ll break her all up. Of course I can get out when 
the hatch is taken off in the mornin’ ; but between 
now an’ then she ’ll have a pretty rough time of it. 
I did n’t have any business to stay here with you 
as long as I did, an’ I ’m expectin’ she ’ll cry her 
very eyes out before daylight.” 

Just then the Hylow heeled over perceptibly, and 
the sound of rushing waters grew louder, whereupon 
Seth cried as he clutched his friend by the arm : 

“ Do you s’pose the vessel has started ” 

“ Of course she has n’t. Don’t you suppose I ’d 
know if she was ready to go to sea.^^ The ferry-boat ’s 
just come in, an’ that ’s what makes the big waves. 
She ’ll settle down again in a minute.” 

Much to Tim’s surprise the Hylow did not 
“ settle ” ; but, on the contrary, heeled over so sud- 
denly that the boys were literally flung across the 


IN HIDING, 


m 


casks, striking the side of the vessel with no gentle 
force. 

“ That ’s something more than waves made by the 
ferry-boat,” Seth said ruefully as he pressed his 
hand gently on that portion of his head which had 
struck against the inner planking of the vessel, and 
straightway Tim began to shout: 

“ Bob ! Bob Ahearn ! Say ! let me out of this ! 
I ’ve got to go home ! Let me out ! ” 

The vessel heeled yet more to the starboard, and 
then came a heavy blow against the bow as if the 
schooner had been struck by a huge wave, while the 
casks rubbed against each other, creaking moan- 
fully, causing such a din that the lads were forced 
to shout in order to make their words heard. 

“ I tell you she ’s gone to sea ! ” Seth cried. “ We 
must be out of the harbor by this time ! ” 

Tim made no reply ; he understood his companion 
had said only what was true, that he had the same 
as run away after having promised his mother again 
and again that he would never do such a thing, and 
the thought absolutely overwhelmed him. 

Why don’t you say somethin’ ? ” Seth cried nerv- 
ously after two or three minutes had passed without 
the sound of a human voice. “ Why don’t you talk ? ” 
“’Cause I can’t!” Tim wailed. “Father always 
told me I ’d get into trouble by wastin’ my time, an’ 


28 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


now I have for sure ! Why could n’t I have had 
sense enough to go ashore after I found you was all 
right? Mother’ll just about cry herself sick, 
thinkin’ I ’m a liar, which I suppose I am sometimes, 
but I never meant to lie to her.” 

The creaking and moaning of the inanimate things 
in the hold, as if they, like Tim, were protesting 
against this sudden commencement of the voyage, 
was almost horrifying to the lad who believed, a few 
moments previous, that it would be fortunate for him 
if he had been forced to stow away on board the 
Hylow. His conscience cried out because of the 
wrong he had done his mother, and he was no longer 
the self-confident district messenger boy, but an un- 
fortunate captive being carried away from home 
against his will. 

It was not possible for Seth to enter very strongly 
into the grief of his companion, for he had his own 
sorrows to occupy his mind. He was thinking of his 
mother in England ; of her grief when Uncle Joshua, 
on arriving, failed to find him; of the inhumanity 
shown by the Immigration Commissioners when he 
was debarred from remaining in the land of his 
birth. 

How long the two lads lay half-wedged between 
the casks and the side of the schooner, they did not 
know. The day might have passed and another come 


IN HIDING. 


29 


without their knowing it, owing to the darkness of 
the hold. 

It seemed to Tim as if he had been there fully 
twenty-four hours, when he began to realize the use- 
lessness of giving way to grief while it could be of no 
avail. 

“ Look here, Seth,” he said, gathering himself to- 
gether, so to speak. ‘‘We are actin’ like a couple of 
babies, that ’s what ’s the matter with us. Of course 
I feel mighty bad because mother ’s bound to believe 
I meant to run away when I went home to get the 
grub for you; but it won’t change matters one little 
bit if we cry our eyes out. We ’ve got to do some- 
thin’, an’ that mighty quick.” 

“ But what can we do ? ” Seth asked helplessly, all 
his courage having gone out into the blackness of the 
hold. 

“ That ’s just exactly what I don’t know; but it ’s 
sure we must n’t act like a couple of babies. Let ’s 
find the place where you was goin’ to stay. We ’ll 
get somethin’ to eat, an’ then, perhaps, can think out 
what we ought’er do. 

It was not a simple matter to find the hiding-place, 
for by this time the Hylow was not only heeled over 
to what seemed a dangerous point, but was jumping 
and tossing about as if bent on making matters as 
disagreeable as possible for the stowaways. 


so 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


More than once were the two plunged headlong be- 
tween the casks, or against the side of the vessel, 
and they were aching from many bumps and bruises 
when finally Seth tumbled into the narrow space they 
had been trying to gain. 

Tim, determined to keep his courage up, strove to 
laugh because of his companion’s fall, and did what 
he might toward pulling him to his feet, but there was 
very little mirth in the boy’s heart when the two were 
seated on the deck between the barrels with their 
knees drawn up to their chins, for he understood full 
well how uncomfortable would be such a position in a 
short time. 

“ Seein ’s how we can’t help ourselves, an’ are both 
stowed away on the Hylow, we might as well have 
somethin’ to eat,” Master Jones said as he fumbled 
around till he found the package and opened it. 

It was with great difficulty he could restrain his 
tears, for it seemed as if these slices of bread so 
thickly spread with butter were direct messages from 
his mother, bidding him remember the promise he had 
made never to go to sea without her permission. 

I reckon I ain’t as hungry as I thought I was,” 
he said, after trying in vain to swallow a mouthful, 
and finding the passage of the food stopped by the 
lump of grief which had come into his throat. 

Seth, however, ate ravenously, for one full day had 


IN HIDING. 


31 


passed since he tasted food, and without thinking 
that it might not be wise to draw so heavily upon the 
scanty supply, he satisfied his hunger fully, after 
which the situation seemed far less terrible than 
before. 

“ Now tell us some more of them stories about fel- 
lows that went to sea an’ made so much money,” he 
said, believing this would be a pleasant way of pass- 
ing the time, and Tim replied mournfully: 

“ I can’t do it ; it ’s no use, I can’t do it. Them 
kind of stories don’t seem half as nice as when I 
thought there would n’t ever be a chance of my goin’ 
to sea. Look here, Seth, how long do you think it ’ll 
be before we can get home ? ” 

“ I hope we ’ll be away till Uncle Joshua can 
come.” 

“ You bet we will ! An’ a good while longer than 
that ! Why, there ain’t much chance the Hylow will 
be back for three or four months ! She ’ll stay at the 
Bank till she ’s plum full of fish, an’, seein ’s how 
we ’re stowaways, there won’t be a show of our mak- 
in’ any money, for Cap’n Ben won’t give us a share.” 

“ Where is she bound for? ” 

‘‘ Why, the Banks, of course. Mike Ahearn says 
Cap’n Ben never goes anywhere else. I don’t know 
but it ’s the only place where they can get codfish — I 
mean enough to load a vessel with ’em.” 


32 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


“ What do you mean by the Banks ? ” 

“ Well, I don’t know as I can tell you,” Tim said 
hesitatingly, “ ’ceptin’ that it ’s jest the Banks. I 
suppose it ’s shoal places in the sea off the coast of 
Newfoundland. I know there ’s lots of ’em, an’ that 
they ’re down there somewhere. Anyhow, it ’s likely 
to be a good deal longer voyage than when you came 
over from Liverpool.” 

“ What do you suppose the cap’n of this vessel ’ll 
say when he finds we ’re here ? ” 

“ Well, I was kind ’er allowin’ if you stowed away 
alone, that when they came to find you Cap’n Ben 
would want to know how it happened. Then you 
could tell the whole story, an’ they ’d feel the same 
way I did about helpin’ you ; but with me here too, it 
looks a good deal as if we ’d have trouble, ’cause it 
ain’t likely they want two boys aboard a schooner 
only an hundred and twenty tons.” 

“ Is that a big vessel ? ” Seth asked, thinking more 
of the present than of that time when he must face 
Captain Ben as a stowaway. 

“ Yes, she ’s a ripper for a fisherman. I was 
lookin’ her over when I happened to run across you. 
They do say she knocks everythin’ that ever sailed 
out of Portland. The cap’n, he allowed to build a 
craft that should be a better boat, a better sailer, 
an’ better all ’round than anything that was ever 


IN HIDING. 


SS 

launched on the coast, an’ I reckon we shall have a 
chance to find out, if they don’t dump us overboard, 
whether he has done it or not. See here, I ’m get- 
tin’ thirsty. What are we goin’ to do for something 
to drink? It may be a week before they ’ll find where 
we are.” 

“ Don’t, Tim, don’t ! ” Seth cried. “ There ’s no 
use in tryin’ to think of all the terrible things that 
can happen to us. It ’s bad enough to be shut up 
here in the dark, with everythin’ creakin’ and groan- 
in’, and the ship tossin’ about so badly! Seems to 
me it ’s a good deal worse than it was on the 
steamer.” 

Tim was beginning to feel rather queer in the 
region of his stomach, and as Seth spoke had a well- 
defined idea that he was growing sea-sick. It seemed 
to him such a weakness in a lad who, as he believed, 
was destined by nature as a sailor, was something 
of which to be ashamed, and he struggled against it 
as best he might while his companion speculated idly 
upon this thing or that, until it was no longer possi- 
ble to conceal the fact. 

“ What ’s the matter? ” Seth asked when his 
friend groaned dismally. 

‘‘ Well, I ’m sick, that ’s all there is about it I I 
would n’t let on if it was n’t that we ’re shut up here 
together where you could n’t help findin’ out.” 


34 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


“ I know just how you feel,” Seth replied unsym- 
pathetically. “ I had it awful the first two days out 
from Liverpool, but I got over it, an’ if it was n’t 
for the noise down here I ’d be gettin’ along all 
right.” 

“ Mother kept tellin’ me I ’d be sick if I went to 
sea, but I would n’t believe her. She said most 
everybody was, but I allowed I was a reg’lar born 
sailor, an’ it would n’t make any difference how much 
the vessel tumbled ’round. By jimminy! I wish I 
was home! You can bet I’d waltz down to Ex- 
change Street an’ tend to business just as I ought’er, 
an’ the manager would n’t have a chance to tell me I 
had loafed on him! Perhaps if I was on deck it 
would be different, but here in this dark place, where 
there ’s such a screechln’ an’ howlin’, anybody would 
feel bad. Say, Seth, if I should die, you ’ll go home 
an’ tell mother I did n’t mean to run away, won’t 
you.f^ You ’ll let her know just how it was; that we 
got shut up in here, an’ I could n’t help myself.” 

Seth promised faithfully to carry out his friend’s 
dying wishes, if indeed they were such, to the best of 
his ability, and in order that the sick lad might have 
space in which to move about ever so little, he clam- 
bered up on one of the casks, leaving the “ snug ” 
hiding-place to the exclusive use of District Messen- 
ger One-one-four. 


IN HIDING, 


35 


Tim struggled with the sickness, which well-nigh 
overpowered him, in silence for perhaps half an hour, 
and then, instead of gaining any relief, it seemed as 
if he was rapidly growing worse. He felt positive 
that never before had a lad been quite so ill as was he, 
and that the vessel should continue on her voyage 
while he was in such imminent danger of death was 
something that seemed woefully cruel and inhuman. 

You ’ve got to make ’em know we ’re here, Seth,” 
he cried in a tone of anguish. “ They must take us 
out before I die ! ” 

“ How can I do it ? ” Master Garland asked help- 
lessly. “ You told me the hatch would n’t be taken 
off till we got to the Banks, wherever that may be.” 

“ Pound on the deck.” 

“ I can’t reach it.” 

“ Then kick on the bulkhead for’ard, where the 
cook ’ll hear you. Seems to me if I was as well as 
you are, I could make racket enough to let ’em know 
that a fellow in here was dyin’ ! ” 

Seth made no reply to the petulant words, but 
meekly kicked to the best of his ability against the 
cabin bulkhead, and, although he worked vigorously, 
it was with difficulty that even Tim could hear the 
sound of the blows because of the overpowering 
noises in the hold. 

‘‘ If you ’ve got no more strength in your legs 


36 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


than that, I ’ll have to die, that ’ll be the end of me ! 
Be sure to tell mother I did n’t mean to run away.” 

Then Tim gave himself over, as he believed, to 
the embrace of death. 


CHAPTER III. 


CAPTAIN BEN. 

For a time Tim insisted that his companion could, 
if he was so disposed, do that which would attract the 
attention of those in the cabin, or on deck, and then 
he gave himself wholly up, an unresisting captive, to 
the sickness of the sea, believing, and not greatly 
troubled by such belief, that death was standing 
near at hand to seize him at the first convenient 
opportunity. 

Seth, so lately come from a long voyage, was not 
disturbed by the rolling and tossing of the Hylow, 
save when he was flung against this obstacle or that 
with a vicious force, as if the schooner was bent on 
punishing the venturesome lads who had hidden in her 
hold in defiance of the officers of the law; but all the 
while he allowed his mind to dwell upon the fact that 
there was no water which he could come at, and, as 
a natural consequence, his thirst increased until it 
seemed to him he was actually dying from thirst. 

Then came a time when both of the stowaways 
slept; but the Hylow continued to climb the mount- 
37 


38 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


ains of water which the sea threw in her path, and 
descend into the liquid valleys, staggering now, and 
again seemingly being knocked back by a blow full 
in her teeth, until it was as if this fabric, fashioned 
with pride by Captain Ben Willard, had been en- 
dowed with consciousness only that it might be 
crazed by the mad whirl of wind and water. 

Because the space between the casks, where Tim 
had believed a lad might live happily many days, 
was so “ snug,” District Messenger One-one-four 
was not flung about rudely; but he awakened now 
and then to wonder why it was he yet remained alive, 
and retaining sufficient of life to insist at the full 
strength of his lungs that Seth call Captain Ben with- 
out delay. 

The lad who had escaped from the Levonia often 
aroused to consciousness; but he made no outcry, 
fearing lest the Hylow was yet so near the land that 
her master might send him aboard the Levonia, 
where he would be punished severely for having dared 
to make an effort at escape. 

Finally, when it seemed as if he had been confined 
in that narrow space between the casks a full week, 
Tim so far gained a mastery over the nausea which 
had assailed him with such deathly force, that it was 
possible for him to relieve his cramped legs by stand- 
ing as nearly erect as the narrow bounds of his place 


CAPTAIN BEN. 


39 


of refuge would permit, and then it was he began to 
believe he might be able to live a few hours longer. 

The Hylow was no longer leaping about so in- 
sanely; she was heeled over to what appeared an 
alarming degree, and rose and fell on the waves, but 
the motion was more steady and regular. It was 
possible to guess with some degree of accuracy when 
she would soar upward, or when descend as if bent on 
plunging straight to the bottom, and, strange though 
it may seem, this apparent method in her movements 
caused District Messenger One-one-four to regain 
some slight portion of his former courage. 

“Hi, Seth! Where are you.'^” 

“ Down here I ” came the reply from somewhere on 
the starboard side amidships. 

“ Have you found any water yet.^ ” 

“ How can I find anything while the vessel is 
jumpin’ around so much.? Have you stopped 
dyin’.? ” 

“ I guess I was more scared than hurt,” Master 
Jones admitted with a tone of shame in his voice. 
“ I ’ve heard fellows tell about bein’ sea-sick ; but I ’ve 
knocked ’round the docks so much that I did n’t be- 
lieve I ’d get taken that way. How long do you 
reckon we ’ve been here .? ” 

“ Two or three days.” 

“ Then it ’s no wonder I ’m hungry ! ” and Tim 


40 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


began cautiously to clamber out from the “ snug ” 
quarters. “ Did you eat all the stulf mother sent 
you.? ” 

It was unfortunate for District Messenger One-one- 
four that he asked such a question, for the word 
“ mother ” stuck in his throat as if bent on choking 
him, and during a long ten minutes he gave himself 
up to painful thoughts of that best friend of his, who 
must even then be mourning in the belief that her son 
had wilfully run away from her. 

“ Have you begun to die again ? ” Seth cried in no 
little alarm as his companion remained silent so 
long, and Master Jones replied as he manfully swal- 
lowed the sob in his throat: 

‘‘ I was thinkin’ ’bout the folks at home, an’ it 
makes me feel mighty mean, ’cause even if I did n’t 
reg’larly run away, I would n’t be here if I had n’t 
loafed ’round tellin’ stories when I ought’er been 
’tendin’ to business.” 

“ It don’t do any good to moon over them things,” 
Seth said grimly. “ When the Levonia started, an’ 
I found that Uncle Joshua was n’t on board, I come 
mighty near havin’ a fit, thinkin’ ’bout mother, an’ 
him, an’ what I ’d do when I had to go ashore all 
alone with never a cent to pay my way. Then one 
of the stewards vowed he ’d give me a rope’s-endin’ 
if I did n’t stop bein’ a baby, an’ act as a boy of my 


CAPTAIN BEN. 


41 


age ought’ er. I knew he could do just what he ’d 
threatened if I did n’t brace up, an’ it did me a power 
of good to behave more decently. That ’s what we ’ll 
have to do now, ’cause we can’t get out till they take 
off the hatch ” 

‘‘ There ’s a chance we ’ll starve to death before 
then!” Tim cried, now so thoroughly aroused to the 
dreadful possibilities as to forget for the time being 
both grief and sickness. “We ’ve got to do some- 
thin’, Seth; it won’t pay to lay ’round here like a 
couple of chumps. If we ever strike Portland agin 
mother ’ll know I did n’t mean to tell her a lie, an’ 
between now an’ then I ’m goin’ to get a move 
on!” 

“ Well, go ahead an’ do it,” Seth replied, but with- 
out making any effort to change position, and a few 
seconds later he heard, even above the creaking of 
the timbers and loosely stowed cargo, a series of 
heavy thumps, which told that District Messenger 
One-one-four was kicking at the bulkhead vigorously 
and rapidly. 

Then the pounding ceased suddenly, and Tim 
shouted at the full strength of his lungs: 

“ Bob Ahearn ! Cap’n Ben ! We ’re locked up in 
here ! ” 

Again he fell to kicking, and Seth asked with mild 
curiosity : 


42 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


“ Do you reckon anybody can hear you while all 
this rumpus is goin’ on ? ” 

“ They must have known I was kickin’, for I heard 
a thumpin’ on the other side.” 

This aroused Seth from what had been very like 
apathy, and, scrambling over the casks with no little 
difficulty, he joined his comrade, lying flat on his 
back as he beat upon the bulkhead with his heels. 

Two or three minutes later it was possible to hear 
quite distinctly the sound of three blows, evidently 
given on the cabin-side of the timbers, and Seth cried 
excitedly : 

‘‘ They ’ve heard us ! They ’ve heard us ! Pound 
three times, so ’s to show we ain’t ghosts ! ” 

Tim acted upon the suggestion ; the signal was an- 
swered, and the lad cried triumphantly: 

“ Now they know we ’re here, an’ it won’t be a 
great while before we ’ll have a chance to get out of 
this miserable place. Come on ; let ’s go under the 
hatch where they ’ll be sure to see us the very first 
thing!” 

The crew of the Hylow were evidently curious to 
learn what or who had disturbed them, for the two 
lads had hardly more than made their way to one of 
the stanchions which supported the hatch-combing, 
before the heavy barrier was pulled aside ever so 
little, allowing the blessed rays of the sun to enter 


CAPTAIN BEN. 


43 


the dark hold in a narrow shaft, and never before 
had the light of day shone out so gloriously to the 
lads. 

“ Who ’s in there ? ” a gruff voice shouted, and 
Tim cried, leaping up and down to the best of his 
ability while the Hylow remained heeled over so 
alarmingly : 

‘‘ It ’s District Messenger One-one-four, an’ the 
follow what got away from the Levonia! We ’re jest 
about starved to death, an’ we ’ll be dead for sure 
if you don’t give us a drink of water ! ” 

The hatch was pulled yet farther aside, revealing 
the wondering face of Captain Ben Willard, as he 
asked in a tone of surprise : 

“ How long have you been down there? ” 

“ Weeks an’ weeks ! ” Tim exclaimed. “We got 
shut in when you put the bait aboard ! ” 

“ Starved, eh? Dyin’ of thirst, eh? ” the cap- 
tain said in what sounded like a mocking tone. 
“ Have n’t had anything to eat or drink since we 
left port, eh? ” 

“We had a little bit of grub ; but Seth ate that the 
first day out,” Tim replied, beginning to feel very 
feeble now that he was thus forcibly reminded of his 
sufferings. “ We ’re dyin’, an’ that ’s the fact ! 
Why don’t you take us out ? ” 

“ I can’t see that I ’m called on to do anythin’ of 


44 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


the kind, seein ’s I did n’t put you in. Stowed away 
on the Hylow, did yer.'^ It would serve you well 
right if I kept you there till mornin’, an’ even then 
I ’m allowin’ you would n’t have had a proper idee of 
what is cornin’ to stowaways. You ’re like to make 
expensive fishermen if you begin to starve to death 
in five or six hours ! ” 

‘‘ Hours ! ” Tim repeated, clutching the stanchion 
nervously, for the surprise was even more overpow- 
ering than starvation. ‘‘ How long since you left 
Portland.? ” 

“We got under way somewhere before noon, an’ 
it lacks a couple of hours of sunset,” Captain Ben re- 
plied as he leaned over the combing in order to make 
out better to whom he was talking. 

“ Do you mean that we have n’t been here more ’n 
a week ? ” Tim cried feebly. 

“We have n’t much more ’n got out of the harbor ; 
the Cape lights are close aboard,” Captain Ben said 
indistinctly, as if struggling with his mirth. “ Lay 
hold here, a couple of you, an’ let ’s see how near 
dead these stowaways are. We ’ll bring ’em to fife 
with a rope’s-end, I reckon, an’ after that ’s been 
done they can be set adrift.” 

“ What fools we ’ve been ! ” Tim cried to Seth in a 
despairing tone. “ Now ’s the time when we ’re 
goin’ to catch it hot, an’ what ’s worse, you ’ll have to 



HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOWN THERE? 


* > 




CAPTAIN BEN. 


45 


go back to the Levonia, while I ’ll get another dose 
from father ! ” 

“ Come out here you young scoundrels ! I ’m not 
goin’ to do any coddlin’ by cornin’ after yer ! ” Bob 
Aheam cried as he lowered the bight of a rope into 
the hold. ‘‘ Lay on to it lively, or I ’ll be givin’ you 
a taste of what the cap’n ’ll deal out ! ” 

A glimpse of Bob’s face, even though he had 
spoken in such an angry tone, cheered Tim won- 
drously, for there was the brother of his friend, who 
would not stand idly by and see him punished so 
very brutally; therefore he grasped the rope as a 
drowning man clutches at a plank, and straightway 
was hauled up on deck. 

Involuntarily he glanced around to see how close 
aboard were the Cape lights, and, much to his sur- 
prise, could hardly make them out astern. The 
Hylow seemed to be well at sea, miles and miles past 
the light-ship. 

“ Who are you ? ” Captain Ben roared as if beside 
himself with anger, and Tim replied very meekly: 

“ I ’m One-one-four, sir, an’ I did n’t mean to stow 
away on this vessel; but your crew put the hatch on 
too quick.” 

“ One-one-four, eh.^ Is that all the name you ’ve 
got.^ How did it happen you was in the hold? ” 

You said I might look at the Hylow, sir.” 


46 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


Oh, you ’re the messenger boy I saw on the 
dock, eh? Well, did I tell you to stow away? ” 

“ I did n’t do it, sir. I was only carryin’ some 
grub to Seth, so ’s he could stay aboard where the 
steamship folks would n’t find him.” 

“ Who ’s Seth? ” and now Captain Ben looked 
puzzled. 

“ That ’s him, sir,” and Tim pointed with his 
thumb to a very disconsolate-looking lad who at that 
moment was hauled out of the hold. “ The folks was 
goin’ to send him back to England, an’ he did n’t want 
to go.” 

“ Are there any more of your gang below? ” the 
captain asked sternly, and Tim replied with a half- 
suppressed sob: 

“ We ’re all of ’em, sir.” 

“ Well, you ’re two too many ; the Hylow is n’t run- 
nin’ pleasure excursions this season, nor she ain’t 
likely to go into the business next year. Who ’s go- 
in’ to pay me for the loss of time in puttin’ back to 
land you ? ” 

‘‘ Seth don’t want to go ashore till his Uncle 
Joshua comes, sir,” Tim replied timidly, “ an’ you 
need n’t go back on my account, even if I did promise 
mother I ’d never run away. She ’s missed me long 
before this, so the worst of it is over.” 

“ Who are you, anyway ? ” 


CAPTAIN BEN. 


47 


I ’m One-one-four ; but I ’d rather be a fisher- 
man than anything else in the world ! ” 

“ Look here, if either of you lads can give a 
straight account of who you are, with no funny busi- 
ness such as ‘ One-one-four,’ I ’d like to hear the 
story,” the captain cried impatiently, and even a 
blind man might have seen that he was losing his 
temper. 

“ I ’ll answer for one of ’em,” Bob Ahearn said 
quickly, and without waiting to be questioned he told 
the captain all he knew about Tim, thereby clearing 
up the mystery of ‘‘ One-one-four.” 

By this time Master Jones began to understand 
that Seth’s story should be told, and, with the aid 
of that young gentleman, he finally succeeded in giv- 
ing Captain Ben a very fair idea of why Master 
Garland had secreted himself in the hold of the 
Hylow. 

“ It ’s dead bad luck to put back, especially on the 
first voyage of a new craft,” one of the crew, whom 
the lads came to know as Ezra Snow, muttered suf- 
ficiently loud for the captain to hear. “ I don’t go 
in very strong on signs ; but I want ’em to come right 
at the start.” 

‘‘ Look here, Ezra, you spend the greater portion 
of your spare time moonin’ over signs an’ omens,” 
Captain Ben cried impatiently, “ an’ if you had n’t 


48 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


contrived to come out mighty nigh high line every 
cruise, you an’ me would have parted long ago. How 
does it come that, with all your runnin’ ’cordin’ to 
this superstition or that, you have n’t got any further 
ahead in the world than when you made your first 
voyage with me ? ” 

“ That ’s jest the secret, Cap’n Ben!” Ezra said 
earnestly, shaking one stubby fore-finger in the air to 
give due emphasis to his words. “ If it had n’t been 
for that ’ere cruise I ’d come out all right ; but you 
know as well as I do ’bout that blamed old black cat.” 

“ What cat ? ” Captain Ben roared impatiently, 
and Seth noted with secret satisfaction that the 
Hylow was steadily creeping away from the land 
while this controversy was continued. 

“ The one you useter own I I met her on your 
doorstep the night I went to ship with you, an’ said 
to myself then that I ought’er turn back an’ try some 
other time for a berth, for it ’s the deadest kind of 
bad luck to have a black cat rubbin’ ’round your 
legs when you ’re thinkin’ of makin’ a change. Black 
cats are all right after a man is settled down, for then 
some say they bring luck ; but look out for ’em at the 
startin’. Do you remember, we sailed in the old 
Ellen Maria, an’ did n’t bring home half a fare, 
though we loafed around the Banks long after the 
squid had set in ? ” 


CAPTAIN BEN. 


49 


“Yes, I remember, you superstitious old fool!” 
Captain Ben cried as if in a rage, displaying so much 
anger over a trifling matter that Tim began to believe 
all his show of ill-temper was make-believe with him. 
“ I remember also that never a vessel of the fleet came 
into port loaded that season, an’ I s’pose you ’ll say 
my old black cat made trouble for all hands ” 

“ She might have done it ; I ain’t sayin’ that she 
did n’t,” Ezra replied doggedly, and Captain Ben 
turned once more to One-one-four, as if in despair of 
ever being able to wean Ezra from his superstitions. 

“ Now then, boy, I ask agin, who ’s goin’ to pay 
us for loss of time, to say nothin’ of the bad luck 
Ezra is so certain will follow, if we put the Hylow 
about to land you ? ” 

“ I don’t believe anybody would give you very 
much, sir, ’cept it might be mother, an’ when I left 
home she lacked two dollars of enough to pay the 
rent, so she could n’t come up very big. Why don’t 
you let us stay ? After I get the hang of things I ’ll 
bet I can earn more ’n enough to pay for my grub, 
an’ Seth ought’er do as much.” 

Master Jones spoke very earnestly, and with a 
pleading tone. Under no circumstances could he 
have been persuaded to run away from home after 
making his mother such a positive promise; but now 
that he had been run away with, so to speak, it 

4 


50 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


seemed as if he should take advantage of the oppor- 
tunity to show that he had in him the making of a 
good sailor. It was a chance such as would prob- 
ably never come to him again, for he knew full well 
he would be bound by stronger promises than ever 
before, in case he returned home now, and he was 
very anxious to be deprived of an opportunity to go 
ashore. 

“Will you answer for this One-one-four ” Cap- 
tain Ben asked, turning to Bob Ahearn, and Mike’s 
brother replied promptly: 

“ There ’s plenty of us here to see that he keeps 
his word, an’ a couple of boys would come in handy 
when we ’re dressin’ down. I don’t know what Tim 
can do ; but I ’ll go bail he won’t have a chance for 
much sogerin’. Besides, as Ezra says, though I 
ain’t stuck much on his signs, it is bad luck to turn 
back on the first voyage.” 

There were others in the crew beside Bob and Ezra 
who were opposed to putting back after once having 
left port, and Captain Ben evidently understood as 
much when he looked sharply around at the men. 

“We ’re workin’ on shares, an’ I ’m the cap’n 
only in the workin’ of the vessel an’ pickin’ out the 
fishin’ grounds,” Captain Ben said after a pause, 
during which he seemed to be trying to settle the 
question in his own mind. “ If the rest of the crew 


CAPTAIN BEN, 


51 


are willin’, you two boys may stay aboard with the 
agreement that you ’ll lend a hand to anythin’ which 
comes your way, an’ if you don’t do it I ’m allowin’ 
you ’ll catch it rough. If there ’s no word said agin 
the decision, you can go for’ard an’ see what the 
cook is willin’ to do for you in the way of sleepin’ 
quarters, for there ’s no show aft.” 

Neither of the men made any protest against the 
ruling of the captain, and since the cook himself was 
one of the party who had heard the conversation, it 
seemed probable he would be willing to do what he 
might for their well-being. 

Seth remained near the mainmast, as if not under- 
standing that the interview had come to an end; but 
Tim had good reason for believing they would be wise 
to get below as soon as possible, therefore, taking 
Master Garland by the hand as if he had been no more 
than a child, he led him to the galley forward, the 
cook following close at the heels of the lads. 

“ So Cap’n Ben thinks it ’s a good j oke to shift 
you off on to me, eh.? ” the “ captain of the galley ” 
grumbled as he pushed the lads into the cuddy. 
“ I ’m to get the offscourin’ of this ’ere crew, eh.? I 
wonder how long it ’s allowed that an A 1 cook like 
me will put up with sich treatment .? I did n’t ship 
aboard the Hylow to act as nuss for a couple of 
(;razy-headed kids like you two.” 


52 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


If Tim had not heard very much concerning Abram 
Doak, the cook who boasted of having fed Captain 
Ben on every voyage he ever made, then might he 
have begun to fear that life would have in it but httle 
of pleasure so long as he and Seth were forced to 
live forward; but, fortunately for his peace of mind, 
Mike Ahearn had told him how fond of grumbling 
was this particular captain of the galley, and ex- 
plained that he was the “ greatest chowder-maker in 
Cumberland County,” therefore One-one-four felt 
positive it was within his power to make a friend of 
the hunchback man, whose bark was said to be worse 
than his bite. 

“ You won’t have to do much nursin’ on our ac- 
count, Mr. Doak,” Master Jones said cheerily, “ an’ 
I ’m allowin’ you ’re gettin’ the best end of the trade 
when we come for’ard to live, ’cause we can help out 
a good bit on the odd jobs.” 

“An’ are you soft enough to think that the crew 
of the Hylow will give you a chance to help me ” 
Abram asked as he wedged himself between the stove 
and the bulkhead on his own private stool, until the 
wonder of it was that he had not burned to a cinder 
before the first meal was prepared. “ Boys aboard 
ship get the rough end of all that ’s goin’, as is right, 
seein ’s how they must be hardened to the business if 
they count on ever amountin’ to anythin’, an’ you ’ll 


CAPTAIN BEN, 


53 


find there won’t be many spare minutes for either 
of you. There ’s Superstitious Ezra ; he can shirk 
more work than a dozen able-bodied men could do, 
and keep tellin’ you all the time of this sign or that 
which proves that it would be bad luck for him to hft 
a hand. I often think that the reason why he don’t 
smoke often is because he ’s too lazy to fill a pipe.” 

“ Where are we goin’ to sleep ? ” Seth asked curi- 
ously, as he gazed around the small cuddy, which 
seemed filled to overflowing with the stove and 
crooked cook. 

“ Want to turn in already for fear I ’ll ask you to 
peel the potatoes, eh.?” Abram asked grumblingly. 
“ It seems to me that the first thing some of these 
fishermen think about, after they ’ve left port, is a 
chowder. There ’s Bob Ahearn, spent his good 
money buyin’ codfish so ’s I ’d have to make a chow- 
der. As if they would n’t get fish enough before we 
see the Cape lights agin ! ” 

“ That ’s ’cause you ’re the boss chowder-maker, 
Mr. Doak,” Tim said quickly, perhaps hoping to 
open the way to friendship with a little judicious 
flattery. “ Mike says Bob thinks you must have 
been born in a chowder kettle, else you could n’t fix 
one up in such style. Show me where the pertatoes 
are, an’ I ’ll peel enough to set you up in business 
for a week.” 


54i 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


“ Lift that hatch,” Abram replied with a smile 
of satisfaction as he pointed to what on shore would 
have been called a trap-door, cut in the deck just in 
front of the stove. “ Down there is where the stores 
are kept, an’ you may as well get in the habit of 
waitin’ on yourselves, if you count on helpin’ me.” 

Then the cook explained that the lantern which was 
swinging from a beam just above the folding table 
must be lighted before they could find their way 
around the forepeak, and when the two lads were 
alone in the dark place, gathering up “ a peck of 
potatoes ” according to instructions. Master Jones 
said in a tone of satisfaction to his comrade: 

‘‘ I believe we ’ll have the time of our life aboard 
the Hylow! We ’ll soon be on the right side of the 
cook, an’ Bob Abeam is bound to give us a lift, else 
I ’ll thump the life out of Mike when we get to 
Portland agin.” 

“ But what about the cap’n ? ” Seth asked 
apprehensively. 

“ I don’t believe he ’d hurt a flea. He tries to 
make out he ’s a terrible fellow ; but I never heard 
that he ’s eat anybody. All we ’ve got to do is duff 
right inter the work, so ’s they ’ll know we don’t 
count on sogerin’, an’ things will go slick as grease. 
If mother only knew how I was run away with, I ’d be 
havin’ the time of my life. Say, did n’t it knock you 


CAPTAIN BEN. 


55 


silly when the cap’n said we had n’t been in the hold 
only since mornin’ ? ” 

“ Are you kids havin’ a camp-meetin’ down there ? ” 
Mr. Doak called sharply from the cuddy. “ If 
you ’ve gone for potatoes, yank ’em up here, but if 
sich work is too much for your delicate limbs, sing 
out, an’ I ’ll come after ’em myself ! ” 

“We ’re try in’ to make out how much a peck is,” 
Tim replied with a laugh. 

“ Fill the pan ; if I don’t use ’em all to-night, I ’ll 
have some on hand for mornin’.” 

“ Are you goin’ to put all these in one chowder ? ” 
Master Jones asked as he clambered up from the 
forepeak, and turned to receive the potatoes which 
Seth was passing to him. 

“ That ain’t a circumstance to what ’ll be needed 
for one chowder when we ’re on the Banks, an’ plenty 
of cod’s heads to go with ’em. I often sit here an’ 
try to figger out how it is some of these fishermen can 
stow away so much stuff. I ’ve seen in my day 
Cap’n Ben eat twice his size in one thing an’ an- 
other, an’ never seem to turn a hair doin’ it. Now 
if you can peel potatoes without cuttin’ ’em in 
chunks, I ’ll look after the pork.” 

One-one-four soon gave proof that he could pare 
potatoes in an economical fashion, and Seth was so 
eager to learn that he cut his finger severely before 


56 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


having well begun the task, causing Abram to ex- 
claim petulantly, as if the injury had been inflicted 
upon himself : 

‘‘ There you go 1 There ain’t the least little mite 
of use expectin’ that a lot of boys can behave them- 
selves. Now don’t go to lettin’ yourself bleed all 
over everythin’. Get outside, an’ see if you can’t 
find somethin’ to do that ’ll help out on payin’ for the 
grub you ’ll eat.” 

“ Seth don’t make a reg’lar business of slicin’ his- 
self to pieces when he gets a knife ; but he ’s all mixed 
up ’bout bein’ sent back to England, so don’t rightly 
know what he ’s about,” Tim said by way of apology, 
and Mr. Doak asked curiously: 

“ Who ’s goin’ to send him to England ” 

Then it seemed necessary Tim should tell all the 
story of Seth’s troubles, and so interested did the 
cook become that a full frying-pan of pork was 
burned to a cinder before he realized that anything 
was going wrong. 


CHAPTER IV. 


THE CAPTAIN OF THE GALLEY. 

After having heard why and how the lads had 
come aboard, Abram Doak’s sympathies were 
thoroughly enlisted, and Tim understood, much to 
his satisfaction, that they could coimt on at least one 
good friend among the crew. 

The captain of the galley did not hesitate to ex- 
press in very forcible terms his opinion regarding _the 
injustice done Seth by the Immigration Commis- 
sioners ; but he appeared to believe that it was within 
the power of the captain of the Hylow to induce the 
government officials to take an entirely opposite view 
of the case. 

“ You lads wait until we get into port again, an’ 
if Cap’n Ben Willard don’t show them high an’ 
mighty politicians what ’s what, I ’m mistaken ! I 
know the skipper of this ’ere schooner ’bout as well as 
he knows hisself, seein’ ’s how he an’ I have been 
sailin’ together, man an’ boy, for pretty much all 
our lives, an’ a master hand is he at straightenin’ 
out snarls. If them bloomin’ commissioners don’t 
57 


58 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


think their cake is dough before he gets through 
with ’em, then I ’m way off soundin’s.” 

Then it was that Tim, realizing that the captain of 
the galley was inclined to be very friendly, gave 
words to the sorrow which was his because of having 
apparently run away. 

“ It ’s just like this, lad,” Mr. Doak said when the 
mournful story was concluded, “ you can’t change 
things a little bit by feelin’ bad, an’ there ’s nothin’ 
for yer to do but hang on an’ wait for a turn. Un- 
less your father ’s thicker headed than I ’m givin’ him 
credit for, he’ll know just how it happened, when your 
mother tells him what yer said, an’ then he ’ll say to 
hisself, says he, ‘ I ain’t stuck on havin’ my Tim go 
for a fisherman, but seein’ ’s how he ’s left terry firm- 
ness, why he ’s playin’ in great big luck to be with 
a cap’n like Ben Willard. ’Cause why.^^ ’Cause 
there ain’t a skipper on this ’ere coast, countin’ in 
Gloucester if yer so please, that ’ll trim my boy up 
into better shape than Cap’n Ben.’ That ’s what 
he ’ll say to hisself, an’ then he ’ll set it down to your 
mother pretty near the same way, though perhaps 
he ’ll say to her in a kind’er winnin’ way, says he, 
‘ Now don’t you go to feelin’ bad on ’count of the 
boy, for he ’s better off at sea, an’ a good deal safer, 
than he would be down at the bloomin’ telegraph 
office.’ So the way I ’m figurin’ it is, that by this 


THE CAPTAIN OF THE GALLEY. 59 


time, havin’ known the Hylow has left port, they ’re 
feelin’ pretty chipper. Who showed you how to cut 
potatoes ? ” 

“ I ’ve always had to help mother, you know, an’ 
it seems as if the lessons she gave me were cornin’ 
in handy.” 

“ Well, it does look a good bit that way, lad, an’ 
I ’m countin’ that between whiles I ’ll get quite a lift 
out of you, though of course it stands to reason you ’ll 
have to turn to with the crew when it comes to dress- 
in’ down, an’ maybe, baitin’ trawls, for while the 
Hylow is a hand-liner you ’ll find trawls enough 
aboard to make your heart ache with the settin’ 
of ’em.” 

“ What ’s a hand-liner ? ” Seth asked, having by 
this time checked the flow of blood from his wounded 
finger and re-entered the galley. 

“ Well, bless my stars ! Where was you brought 
up, lad.? ” Mr. Doak cried in amazement, for to his 
mind the difference between a hand-liner, a trawler, 
or a seiner should be known by intuition. “ Do you 
mean to tell me you don’t know as how a hand-liner 
is a vessel where a good bit of the fishin’ is done from 
the deck with lines, though, as I said before, we carry 
plenty of trawls ” 

“ What ’s a trawl ? ” Seth asked in perplexity, and 
now even Tim laughed because of such ignorance. 


60 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


Mr. Doak made no attempt to answer the question ; 
but said crustily as he set about making ready some 
pork to take the place of that which had been 
burned : 

“ If I was runnin’ an infant class in a Sunday- 
school I might set myself down to answer sich simple 
questions ; but as it is I reckon you ’ll find out before 
we strike Portland harbor agin.” 

“ A trawl is a long line, ever so many hundred feet, 
with hooks tied on about twenty inches apart,” Tim 
began, and then hesitated, finding it difficult to de- 
scribe what was so familiar to him. “ The hooks are 
baited, an’ the line is buoyed anywhere the fishin’ 
happens to be good. Then the men under-run it 
with their dories, an’ pick off the fish that have been 
caught.” 

“ Don’t understand it yet, eh ? ” Mr. Doak said 
interrogatively, seeing that Seth still looked puzzled. 
“ Well, I can’t say I blame you after that way of 
puttin’ it, but it won’t do for me to start in on your 
education, else this chowder ’ll never be done. You ’ll 
have to get showed, or find out all about it for your- 
self, ’cause ” 

At this moment the companionway was darkened, 
as if the hatch had suddenly been closed, and, looking 
up the lads saw Ezra Snow folding his lank body in 
order that he might enter the tiny cuddy. 


THE CAPTAIN OF THE GALLEY, 61 


“ Now what ’s happened to you? ” Mr. Doak asked 
sharply. “ I told Cap’n Ben, when this ’ere 
schooner was on the ways, that the big mistake he 
made was in the size of the galley, for I never saw 
the time when a lot of fool fishermen would n’t want 
to hang ’round, ’cept, of course, when they got right 
down to work.” 

“ Now, now, Abram, don’t fire into me so heavy. 
This ’ere is bound to be an unfortunate trip, an’ I 
can’t take anythin’ harsh from them as should be 
tryin’ to ease things up for me.” 

“ What ’s gone wrong now, Ezra ? ” the captain 
of the galley asked with mild curiosity, as once more 
he filled the frying-pan with small cubes of salt-pork. 
‘‘ Did a black cat rub up agin yer the wrong way ? ” 

“ I wish to goodness one had, an’ then perhaps I 
might stand some little show of makin’ fair wages 
this trip. No, it was n’t anythin’ half so comfortin’ 
as that. I was goin’ down Fore Street when I met 
that idjut, Jim Sullivan, an’ whatever got it into 
his bloomin’ head I can’t figger, but he must needs 
sing out, ‘Goin’ off on a cruise, eh Ezra? Well 
here ’s good luck to you, an’ good-bye.’ Now you 
know Abram as well as I, that there ’s no worse luck 
can happen a man than for some one to say ‘ good- 
bye ’ when he ’s startin’ out on a fishin’ trip, an’ if I 
get back alive it ’s more ’n I ’m expectin’.” 


62 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


From the expression on Mr. Snow’s face, and the 
tone in which he spoke, one would have believed he 
was nearly heartbroken, and a stranger might have 
sympathized with him, but Abram Doak was too well 
acquainted with this superstitious fisherman to give 
very much heed to his sorrows. 

“ I declare for it, Ezra, I don’t know what you ’d 
do if one day should pass when there was n’t some- 
thin’ turnin’ up to give you a chance for croakin’. 
If I ’d see as many signs in a week a^ you can in an 
hour, I ’m allowin’ this ’ere crew ’d be mighty hungry 
before we got well snugged down on the Banks.” 

“ It ain’t for you, Abram, to laugh agin signs an’ 
omens, as I could prove if it was n’t that I ’ve got to 
take my trick at the wheel as soon as I can fire in a 
mug of your coffee.” 

“ Well, get to work at it as soon as you can, an’ 
then go aft, for I declare you give me the crawls,” 
Mr. Doak said petulantly, as he filled a yellow mug 
with coffee from an enormous pot which, as the stowa- 
ways soon came to learn, was kept on the galley stove 
night and day for the benefit of the crew. 

“ I don’t reckon you ’ve got a piece of pie, or 
anythin’ like that, to go with this have you, Abram 
A two-hours’ trick at the wheel right in the shank of 
the evenin’, when the schooner ’s kickin’ to it as she ’s 
doin’ now, is somethin’ a man needs to prepare him- 


THE CAPTAIN OF THE GALLEY. 63 


self for, 8ljY I ’m terribly light-waisted, seein ’s I 
did n’t get much more ’n half my share of grub at 
dinner.” 

“ You stowed away as much as three men could 
eat, that I ’ll swear to,” the cook said grumblingly, as 
he took from its tin plate a full half of a pie com- 
posed of pastry and evaporated apples, and turned 
it deftly from the blade of the knife into the out- 
stretched hand of Mr. Snow. 

Seth watched the long sailor as if fascinated by the 
rapidity with which he devoured the pie, and then 
tossed off the steaming contents of the mug without 
taking breath, after which he wiped his mouth with 
the back of his hand and went aft to do duty as 
helmsman. 

“ That ’s the way you ’ll see him do, day in and 
day out,” the captain of the galley said as he paused 
in his work to watch Mr. Snow make his way lei- 
surely toward the wheel. ‘‘ If he was n’t as good a 
sailor as can be found on the Banks I warrant you 
there ’s never a skipper that would have him aboard, 
for what with his whinin’ about this sign an’ the 
other, an’ fillin’ hisself up till, if he was like any other 
man he ’d bust all to pieces, he ain’t what you might 
rightly call an ornament to any crew.” 

From that time until the chowder was cooked Mr. 
Doak criticised the different members of the Hylow*s 


64 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


crew, explaining the peculiarities of this man and the 
good points of another, until, if the boys could have 
remembered all he said, it would have been possible 
for them to recognize each in turn as he came 
forward. 

When the meal was ready the captain of the galley 
announced the fact by shouting through a trumpet 
made by his half-closed hands: 

“ Ahoy, you bully boys, ahoy ! ’’ 

“ Are you goin’ to eat in this little place ? ” Seth 
asked in surprise, noting for the first time that Mr. 
Doak had made ready the small table. 

“ That ’s what you ’ll find, lads, an’ the sooner you 
get out of here the better, for when them as has the 
first whack at the grub get in, it ’d be a tight squeeze 
for a mouse to get out.” 

It was Captain Ben and five of his crew who an- 
swered this first summons, and the two stowaways, 
thus virtually ejected from the cuddy, lounged aft 
where they were met by Bob Ahearn, who asked in 
what he intended should be a facetious tone: 

“ Gettin’ your sea-legs on, eh Tim.? Well, you 
fellows don’t want to be too long about it, for them 
as are aboard the Hylow on this trip will keep a- 
humpin’ or there ’ll be trouble, ’cause Cap’n Ben 
allows to beat the record. Turn to whenever you 
see a chance to bear a hand, an’ don’t try to shirk 


THE CAPTAIN OF THE GALLEY, 65 


work; keep your eyes wide open for anythin’ that 
comes your way, an’ if you ’re half the boys I ’ve 
taken you to be, you ’ll both have a fair lay on this 
trip before we get home.” 

“ Does that mean that we might be paid any- 
thin’ ? ” Tim asked. 

“ If it so be you can earn it ; but bear this in mind, 
Tim: If once the men get an idee you want to soger 
on ’em, a fishin’ vessel is about the worst place you 
could be in.” 

This advice given. Bob Ahearn went forward as 
if believing it was not seemly for one of the crack 
hand-liners of the Portland fleet to be spending his 
time on two lads. 

When those who were called to the flrst table had 
flnished the meal, the helmsman was relieved, and the 
remainer of the crew trooped forward for their por- 
tion of the toothsome chowder; but there was no op- 
portunity for the stowaways to satisfy their hunger 
until all the others had finished, when, in company 
with Mr. Doak, they were at liberty to partake of 
whatever in the way of food had been left by the 
hungry men. 

‘‘ It ’s what you might rightly call the third table,” 
the captain of the galley said as he filled three tin 
basins, each of which held a full quart and a half, 
with chowder, and swung the huge coffee pot around 


66 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


so that he might fill the mugs whenever they were 
empty, without being forced to leave his seat. “ As 
I ’ve said, it ’s what you might rightly call the third 
table, but you watch out a day or two, an’ you ’ll see 
that it ’s a case of not bein’ able to keep count, for 
when there ’s no fishin’ goin’ on these ’ere men spend 
pretty much all their time stuffin’ theirselves. It ’s 
fair amazin’ the amount of grub they ’ll stow away in 
twenty-four hours.” 

Just at that moment Tim was not inclined to specu- 
late upon the appetites of those whom he hoped would 
one day call him mate, for his mind was in a maze ow- 
ing to the fact that the movements of the Hylow no 
longer disturbed him. The saucy little schooner, 
with a good stiff breeze abeam, was seemingly leap- 
ing directly across the chasms of water, now and 
again heeling until the lee rail would be submerged, 
and yet it was as if he had no concern with such 
jumping and plunging save to hold himself steady. 

“ Yes, I ’m allowin’ you ’re seasonin’ out right 
smart,” Mr. Doak said in reply to the lad’s remark; 
“ but then, bless you, there ’s no tellin’ what turn 
you ’ll take when we get a bit of wind.” 

It seems to me we ’ve got all the wind we need,” 
Seth suggested with just a ghost of a smile, and the 
captain of the galley laughed loud and long as if 
the lad had said something witty. 


THE CAPTAIN OF THE GALLEY. 67 


“ Do you call this a breeze ? Why it ain’t enough 
to lift a hair. I ’m allowin’ before we make Port- 
land Head agin, you ’ll see the deck awash clean to 
the wheel, for, oh my, my, how the wind can blow 
across the Banks! Wait till it takes two men at the 
helm, an’ them lashed fast to keep from bein’ washed 
over, with the schooner borin’ her way down into 
it till it ’s a case of usin’ the life-lines if you count on 
pokin’ your nose outside.” 

“ Don’t, please don’t,” Seth said faintly. “ I ’d 
rather not think of it if we’re likely to get much 
more wind than this,” and the lad looked out from 
the cuddy over the waters which were grown black 
as ink now that the sun had set, and his breath came 
in little choking sobs as the waves raced aft towering 
high above he rail. “ In the steamer we were so 
high up we could look down on the seas, but now it 
seems as if we were in the very midst of them.” 

“ Ay, lad, an’ the safer for it,” Mr. Doak said in 
a tone of satisfaction. “ I can’t understand how it 
is that a man ’ll venture his life in one of them iron 
tanks they call liners! It’s a fair temptin’ of 
Providence; but take it in a craft like this, an’ 
you know what ’s underneath you. Safer.? Why the 
Hylow ’d be makin’ good weather of it when one of 
them bloomin’ hulks would be flonderin’. I ’ve 
knocked about on the Banks year in an’ year out. 


68 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


seein’ many a man go under when there was no need 
of it, an’ agin when it could n’t be helped ; but I was 
never that venturesome to put my carcass into an iron 
kettle.” 

When the meal was come to an end and the two 
boys had, following Bob Ahearn’s advice, assisted 
the captain of the galley in putting everything to 
rights, it seemed to Tim as if the Hylow was in im- 
minent danger of being swamped. The night had 
shut in black as ink; the seething and boiling of the 
waters as they raced past the hull sounded louder 
now that it was no longer possible to see them, and 
the wind roared and shrieked as if bent on carrying 
the spars out of this schooner which Captain Ben 
Willard had counted would be the leader of the Port- 
land fleet. Yet as the men came forward to the 
galley to smoke or get a mug of coffee, there was so 
little concern shown by them that Tim struggled 
manfully to repress his fears, for surely there could 
be no danger while they were so well content. 

‘‘ She ’s a little dear, that ’s what the Hylow is ! ” 
Ezra Snow said when he had drank a second mug of 
coffee within an hour after supper, and was come into 
the cuddy for a smoke. “ She ’s jest a darlin’, an’ 
all Cap’n Ben allowed her to be! If that thick- 
headed Jim Sullivan had kept his tongue between his 
teeth, I ’d allow we might be takin’ fish before this 


THE CAPTAIN OF THE GALLEY, 69 


time to-morrow night. The cap’n ’s drivin’ her to 
find out how much she ’ll stand, an’ if we ’re not 
doin’ a good fourteen knots I ’ll eat my head.” 

I reckon that would n’t trouble your stomach 
very much,” Mr. Doak said grumblingly. “ You ’ve 
eaten everythin’ else to my knowledge, from the time 
you began to go to sea. Look here, lads,” he added, 
turning to the boys as if just remembering they were 
aboard, “ turn into that bunk for’ard there. I 
reckon the two of you won’t more ’n fill one bed, an’ 
if the breeze holds I ’m allowin’ it ’s as Ezra says, 
you ’ll find out what a hand-liner is before another 
night comes.” 

“ He still calls this a breeze,” Seth whispered as he 
and Tim stowed themselves away in the narrow bunk. 
“ I hope we ’ll never see it blow a ‘ livin’ gale,’ as 
sailors call it, for it seems to me as if the schooner 
was shakin’ herself all to pieces now.” 

Five minutes later the stowaways were no longer 
troubled by the strength of the wind, for both were 
sleeping soundly if not noisily, and when they next 
opened their eyes a new day had come, filling the little 
cuddy with golden light until all the homely untensils 
were turned into silver or gold, while the spray which 
came from the water was transformed into sparkling 
diamonds. 

Mr. Doak was making ready the morning meal. 


70 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


and Tim cried with a note of concern as he leaped to 
the deck just in time to be flung against the com- 
panionway as the schooner rose on the waves: 

‘‘Why didn’t you call us to help you? We’re 
countin’ on doin’ our full share of the work, an’ the 
sooner we are set about it the quicker we ’ll break in.” 

“ Don’t distress yourself about not bein’ able to 
work, lad, for if you don’t get all the chance that ’s 
needed this ’ll be a different crew than I ever heard 
tell of before. Shake yourselves a bit, an’ get up 
some of the stores that we ’ll be needin’ ’twixt now an’ 
noon.” 

One had no reason to display fear while the sun 
was shining so brightly; the swirling of the waters 
and the leaping of the schooner were robbed of their 
terrors, and the stowaways set about beginning the 
work of the day with more of cheer in their hearts 
than they had known since they were imprisoned in 
the hold. The crew seemed to have nothing of more 
importance on hand than criticising the sailing of 
the HyloWf or complaining because breakfast was not 
ready, and all appeared to be in the best of spirits, 
for although none of them was as superstitious as 
Ezra Snow, it surely seemed a good omen on the 
first cruise, this strong, favoring breeze which was 
bringing out all the sailorly qualities of the Hylow. 

Not until the hunger of the men had been appeased 


THE CAPTAIN OF THE GALLEY. 71 


and the cuddy set to rights once more, did the lads 
have leisure in which to think about anything save 
the duties of the present, and when Abram Doak an- 
nounced that they could take their “ trick below ” till 
it was time for dinner, Tim congratulated himself 
upon having made a very good beginning toward 
becoming a fisherman. 

“ I ’m goin’ aft an’ watch them steer this vessel,” 
he said to Seth. “We have n’t stirred out of the 
galley since cornin’ aboard, an’ it ’s time we moved 
’round so ’s to show what we can do.” 

Then he started aft, striving to walk as he be- 
lieved a sailor should, without yielding to the tempta- 
tion of steadying himself by the rail or the rigging. 
This was a dangerous experiment for a landsman, be- 
cause the deck of the Hylow was inclined sharply, 
and the snow-white planks wet with brine afforded 
anything but a safe foothold. 

“ Why don’t you give with the swing of the ship ? ” 
Bob Ahearn cried with a laugh as Tim passed him 
on his way aft. “ Have you forgotten about your 
knee joints.?” 

District Messenger One-one-four was not just cer- 
tain what his friend’s brother meant by this question, 
but had the idea that he was not imitating a seaman 
very successfully, and strove to mend his gait, giving 
just at that moment more heed to swaying his body in 


72 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


a graceful manner than to the movements of the vessel. 

The result was only what could have been expected. 
As the Hylow raised her bow ever so little, and then 
flung her stem into the air as if exulting in the caress 
of the wind, his foot slipped on the smooth plank; 
he clutched frantically for the rail, which was six or 
eight inches beyond his grasp, and then shot down 
to leeward much like a ball when it leaves the hand 
of the pitcher. 

If he had used every effort to accomplish such pur- 
pose he could not have stmck more fairly Jerry 
Bates, the surliest of the crew, who was standing with 
his back against the mainmast watching the speed of 
the schooner, and Jerry and Tim went headlong into 
the scuppers amid a roar of laughter from all who 
witnessed the accident. 

« Tryin’ your tricks on me, are you! ” Jerry cried 
wrathfully, scrambling to his feet much like a cat, 
and seizing Tim by the collar of the coat. “ Tryin’ 
to be funny, are you, you bloomin’ stowaway I ’ll 
show you a bit of sport that it ’ll be wise for you to 
take as a lesson.” 

Then raising the unfortunate Tim clear of the 
deck, he swung him out-board from the lee rail into 
the water, holding him beneath the surface of the 
rushing waves until the lad believed it was really in 
the man’s mind to drown him. 


CHAPTER V. 


BAD BLOOD. 

Captain Ben was in his cabin when Jerry Bates 
attempted to punish Tim because of the mishap, else 
the surly sailor, whom some called a bully and none 
believed to be an A 1 fisherman, would never have 
dared to thus ill-treat the lad. 

As it was, however, and probably fearing no in- 
terference from the crew, the ill-tempered Mr. Bates 
held the frightened boy beneath the rushing waters 
until there was really danger he might be drowned 
before Bob Ahearn came to understand what was be- 
ing done. It was Ezra Snow, standing his trick at 
the wheel, who gave the alarm by shouting angrily 
at Bates: 

“ Let that boy alone ! What d’ yer mean by such 
tricks as that? Do you allow Cap’n Ben ’ll stand 
for that brute work? ” 

Bob Ahearn with a couple of mates was lying in 
the sun in the lee of the cuddy-house when he heard 
this cry, and came to his feet leisurely with no idea 
of trouble, save that perhaps some rough skylarking 
73 


74 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


was being done. Seeing the sailor with his arm out- 
stretched from the rail, he failed to understand what 
he was about until Ezra Snow called sharply : 

‘‘ Can’t you see what the brute ’s doin’ to that 
telegraph boy ? ” 

“ Do you mean Tim.^ Where is he.^^ ” 

“ Bates has got him by the collar over the rail.” 

Bob Ahearn came aft quickly, failing to under- 
stand what Ezra meant until it was possible for him 
to see the white face of Tim rising now and then above 
the water, while Seth clung to the main halyards, his 
face bloodless, his eyes seemingly protruding, and 
unable to speak as he pointed with trembling finger 
toward the man whom he believed was doing his best 
to commit murder. 

“ Bring that boy in-board, an’ do it quick ! ” Bob 
cried angrily, and Jerry Bates turned half around, 
making no attempt at obeying, as he asked surlily: 

“ What business does this happen to be of yours ? 
When I get ready to take orders from a ’longshore 
swash like you, I ’ll telephone yer.” 

Bring that boy in-board ! ” Bob cried threaten- 
ingly, fearing lest the man, in his anger, might 
attempt to lay hands on him and thus let go of Tim. 

Get hold of the lad before you do much talkin’,” 
Joe Barker, Bob Ahearn’s dory-mate, cried sharply 
as he ran aft, and Jerry Bates, his face livid with 


BAD BLOOD. 


75 


passion by this time, swung half around as if intend- 
ing to prevent Bob from passing him. Thus Tim 
was in the greater danger, because of the efforts of 
those who would aid him, and Ezra Snow, who, as a 
matter of course, could not leave his place at the 
wheel even for an instant, evidently feared that a 
tragedy was to be enacted, for he cried loudly: 

“ Ahoy, Cap’n Ben ! Ahoy ! ” 

An instant later, and just at the moment when it 
seemed as if Bates would have an opportunity of 
dealing Ahearn a blow, the captain of the Hylow 
appeared from the companionway. 

‘‘ J erry is sousin’ that telegraph boy over the rail, 
an’ it ain’t the thing to do while he ’s makin’ ready 
for the mix-up that ’s likely to come ! ” Ezra cried 
hurriedly, and Captain Ben took a hand in the matter 
by running amidships where was the angry group. 

Instead of making any attempt at cooling the bad 
blood between the three men, the master of the Hylow 
slipped a gaff from its beckets, deftly hooked it in 
Tim’s clothing, and thus pulled him so far in-board, 
despite Bates’s hold, that it was possible to bring 
him over the rail. 

Here Joe, carry this boy for’ard, an’ tell Abram 
to look after him. I reckon he ’s lost his breath.” 

Then, wheeling sharply upon Jerry Bates, the 
captain let loose a torrent of words such as old 


76 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


“ Bankers ” were won’t to say none but Ben Willard 
could speak. When he had in a certain degree re- 
lieved his anger by speech, he cried warningly: 

“ You an’ I have never sailed together before, 
Jerry Bates ; but I ’ve heard not a little about the 
monkey-shines you ’re inclined to play. If it so be 
you are wantin’ to see Portland Head again, remem- 
ber not to give ’way to ’em while you ’re aboard the 
Hylow, for as true as the sun shines I ’ll serve you 
out a real taste of what you ’re pretendin’ to give 
that lad ! ” 

“ That is as maybe,” Jerry Bates cried, now liter- 
ally trembling with passion. “ I ’ll take no more from 
you than I take from any other livin’ man, whether 
he be skipper or cook ! ” 

“ You ’ll take from me what I count on givin’, an’ 
many words out of your mouth will be dangerous 
just now. We Portland fishermen don’t go very 
strong on master an’ man business, ’cause we sail to- 
gether like the partners that we are ; but I ’m wantin’ 
you to understand that if need comes it won’t take 
me many seconds to count myself captain of this ’ere 
schooner ! ” 

Jerry Bates made a movement as if to speak 
again, but seemingly checked himself when he got a 
full view of the captain’s determined face, and then, 
shaking himself as does a dog when he throws the 


BAD BLOOD. 


77 


water off his hide, lounged forward with a swagger 
which told of what he believed it would be possible 
for him to do were he so minded. 

Meanwhile Joe had carried Tim into the galley, 
and Seth so far pulled himself together as to be able 
to follow, but quaking with fear because of the one 
glimpse he had got of his friend’s pallid face, which 
seemed proof that the lad was already dead. 

Captain Ben looked after the sailor, who had given 
good indication of being mutinously inclined, for a 
moment, and then stepped back to the wheel as he 
asked of Ezra : 

How did the row come on ? ” 

Ezra told him of Tim’s mishap, and the punish- 
ment which followed, concluding by saying: 

“ It was me as sung out, Cap’n, an’ I did n’t dare 
wait any longer, for it looked mighty like as if the 
lad was gettin’ it altogether too square in the neck.” 

“ There ’ll be no such work aboard the Hylow, an’ 
that I want understood at the start. A decent man 
can’t rightly blame the boy Seth for doin’ his best 
at givin’ the steamship people the slip, an’ the other 
one was n’t what might rightly be called a stowaway, 
though of course I ’m not admittin’ he had any good 
excuse for bein’ aboard, except that it was a boy’s 
trick. While the two do their duty they shall have 
fair treatment.” 


78 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


“ That ’s what I ’m thinkin’ they ’ll get, an’ I 
would n’t have any fear if you was the only one who 
had a word to say in the business; but this ’ere has 
started bad blood ’twixt Bob an’ Jerry, an’ it ain’t 
any two to one that the sour-faced Bates won’t take 
it out of the lads if he gets a chance.” 

‘‘ It ’ll be safer for him to walk a chalk-line this 
trip, an’ after we ’ve made the home-port I ’ll not be 
bothered with him, for if men can’t sail together with- 
out squabblin’ I don’t want ’em in a vessel of mine.” 

Then the captain went below, and Ezra Snow mut- 
tered to himself as he brought the Hylow a trifle 
nearer into the wind: 

It ’s a bad sign ! It ’s a mighty bad sign, an’, 
take it with that good-bye from Jim Sullivan, I ain’t 
sure but the whole crew is hoodooed. It beats all, 
the luck I have for runnin’ up agin signs ; I ’d been 
a rich man if they had all come right.” 

Bob Ahearn had not gone into the galley, because 
by so doing it would appear as if he was following 
up Bates, who had continued on forward until he 
stood well in the bow; but Bob was not needed by 
Tim, for Joe and Abram were doing all they could 
toward restoring the lad to consciousness, while Seth, 
dry-eyed but trembling, watched their every move- 
ment, as if suspicious lest they might try to work his 
friend some harm. 


BAD BLOOD. 


79 


“ I reckon you ’re all right now, lad,” the captain 
of the galley said when Tim opened his eyes and 
looked about him inquiringly. “ You ’ll be like to 
get a full dose of salt water many a time while you ’re 
aboard a fisherman, but it comes kind ’er rough at 
the start, I reckon. Stay with the Hylow one sea- 
son, an’ there ’ll be no need of anybody ’s workin’ 
over you in case you go adrift.” 

“ Did I go adrift ? ” Tim asked in a tone of alarm. 
“ Did that man throw me over.? ” 

“ He had the heart, but not the courage. A bad 
egg is Jerry Bates, ’cordin’ to all I ’ve heard, though 
I never sailed with him before ; but if he ’ll take a bit 
of advice from me he ’ll keep clear of the skipper, 
for Cap’n Ben Willard ain’t a man as can be trifled 
with safely.” 

Joe Barker lighted his pipe as if believing there 
was nothing else for him to do, and then lounged out 
of the cuddy, while Abram Doak, suddenly bethink- 
ing himself of the dinner which was yet to be 
cooked, ordered Seth here and there until the 
lad hardly knew which command should be obeyed 
first, therefore by thus becoming bewildered in 
the effort to perform his duties rapidly, recovered 
from the fright caused by Jerry Bates’s brutal 
behavior. 

“ You ’ll stay where you are, lad, till night,” the 


80 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


captain of the galley said sternly when Tim at- 
tempted to get out of the bunk. 

“ But I ain’t hurt any, an’ the men ’ll think I ’m 
a reg’lar baby if I stay in bed,” Tim replied, the 
quivering of his voice telling that the will was 
stronger than the body. 

“ I ain’t allowin’ you ’re hurt, so to speak,” Mr. 
Doak began, waving a mixing-spoon in the air as if 
to give emphasis to his words. ‘‘ But there ’s no 
man or boy who can be towed around by a schooner 
when she ’s movin’ along on her side as lovely as this 
’ere one is, an’ not be a bit shook up when the water ’s 
drained out of him. I ’m allowin’ your partner ’ll 
do all that ’s needed here, an’ your ’re out of the 
way while in the bunk.” 

‘‘ But there must be somethin’ on deck I could 
do,” Tim protested, but with no very great eager- 
ness. ‘‘ You know Cap’n Ben said we must turn 
our hands to everythin’ that came our way.” 

“ Ay, an’ so you must, there ’s no gainsayin’ that ; 
but, except when we ’ve struck fish, it ’s a case of all 
hands loafin’, savin’ them as are on watch, an’ there ’s 
no call for you to add to the gang of idlers on deck.” 

“ Who are you callin’ ‘ idlers,’ Abram ? ” Bob 
Ahearn asked with a laugh, as he dropped from the 
companion into the cuddy. “ If you should stir 
yourself so ’s to get up five square meals a day, you ’d 


BAD BLOOD. 


81 


see whether we could n’t move lively enough to keep 
you goin’.” 

“ Ay, that you would,” and Mr. Doak stirred vig- 
orously the batter which he was mixing for fried 
cakes. ‘‘ You ’re all great workers at the table, an’ 
with your tongues; but it remains to be seen what 
you can do with a line or trawl.” 

“With the exception of Jerry Bates, I reckon the 
most of us has shown Cap’n Ben what we could do, 
an’ so long as he ’s satisfied with the crew I ’m 
allowin’ there ’s no great cause for you to be judgin’ 
of ’em. Well, Tim, my boy, what ’s your idee of a 
fisherman’s life by this time.?* You ought to be able 
to give an opinion, seein’ s how you ’ve been salted 
down. I reckon by now you ’re believin’ a telegraph- 
office job beats fishin’ all hollow.” 

“ Indeed I ’m not,” Tim replied stoutly ; “ but I 
have n’t had a chance to try my hand at fishin’ yet.” 

“ That ’ll come, boy, that ’ll come, don’t you 
worry. About this time to-morrow we ’ll be workin’ 
over as nasty a bit of water as can be found in this 
’ere world.” 

“ Are we goin’ to try ’Quereau ? ” Mr. Doak 
asked. 

“ Well, a bit worse than that, Abram.” 

“ Meanin’ Sable Island Bank, eh ? ” and now the 
cook began to look concerned. 


82 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


“ A little worse than that, matey. Try it once 
again, an’ you ’ll strike it.” 

“ Is Cap’n Ben gone clean wild to tackle the east 
bar.? ” 

“ That ’s what he is. We ’ll work ’twixt that an’ 
’Quereau, so I heard him say this mornin’, till we ’ve 
wet all our salt.” 

“ Or else left the Hylow with the other three 
hundred an’ odd craft that have laid their bones upon 
that ’ere sand bank,” Mr. Doak grumbled, and at 
that moment the companionway was darkened as a 
mournful voice cried: 

‘‘ Right you are, Abram ! Right you are, an’ it ’s 
all ’cause that id jut, Jim Sullivan, bid me good-bye, 
as if the fool did n’t have sense enough to keep his 
tongue between his teeth. We ’ve got as good a 
craft as ever sailed out of Portland harbor ; but her 
first cruise is goin’ to be her last owin’ to that 
bloomin’ Jim ! ” 

“ Did you ever know of Cap’n Ben’s leavin’ a 
craft on Sable Island Bank.? ” Bob Ahearn asked 
angrily. “An’ have you got fingers enough on both 
hands to count the seasons, winter an’ summer, when 
he ’s fished here or ’Quereau .? If I ever hear of a 
fisherman that wants a right good croaker to remind 
the crew of what ’s standin’ in the way of the fleet, 
I ’U give you a recommend writ down with pen an’ 


BAD BLOOD, 


83 


ink, for a first-class, A 1 bloomin’, superstitious 
fool.” 

“ You don’t want to rile me. Bob ; I only dropped 
in for a mug-up, but if you don’t want to hear what 
I know, I ’ll go aft agin. Now then, Abram, let ’s 
have it with plenty of sugar.” 

“ If you ’re goin’ to tell all you know, Ezra, 
there ’ll be time to do it while I ’m pourin’ out this 
’ere coffee,” Mr. Doak said as he began to fill a 
capacious yellow mug. As a general rule I ’m al- 
ways standin’ ready to look cheerful when a crew 
of idle fishermen have got nothin’ else to do but mug- 
up, but in your case it seems like a clean waste of 
good material. You ’ve always got an empty hold, 
an’ never seem to have a cargo, no matter how much 
you put in. It ’s clean discouragin’, cookin’ for the 
likes of you.” 

“ I agree with some part of that ’ere statement, 
Abram,” Mr. Snow said as he took the coffee from 
the cook’s hand, stirring it vigorously to make cer- 
tain all the sugar was dissolved. ‘‘ If you was what 
could be called an able seaman’s cook I might get 
nourishment enough to sustain me from one hour to 
another ; but a man ’s got to put away a heap of your 
truck in order to gather what you ’d call a square 
meal. Now then. One-one-four, what do you think 
of your shipmate, Mr. Bates.? Seems to me you an’ 


84 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


he had a chance to get fairly well acquainted, eh? ” 

“ Let the boy alone,” Bob Ahearn said as he 
treated himself to a mug of coffee. “ I ’m allowin’ 
it ’s best to leave him to himself for a spell.” 

Then, as the readiest way of making certain his 
command was obeyed. Bob Ahearn shouldered the 
superstitious Ezra out of the companionway, and 
when the cook with his assistants were left alone in 
the galley, Seth asked anxiously: 

“ What kind of fish do they catch off Sable Island, 
Mr. Doak?” 

“ Well, you might say it ’s the best ground for 
halibut, cod, an’ haddock, an’ a wicked ground it is, 
too. There ain’t much of anythin’ done there but 
trawlin’ an’ hand-linin’. It ’s snug in on the bar 
that most of the fish are found; but, dear me, let 
the wind come up to the east’ard with you lyin’ well 
in to either bar, an’ it ’s a case of stoppin’ right 
there, as many a good fisherman an’ able seaman have 
done. If there ’s anybody knows Sable Island fishin’ 
it ’s Cap’n Ben, an’ I ’ve seen him haul the old Spit- 
fire off the shoals when there was n’t one skipper in a 
thousand as could have done it. We ’ve taken nigh 
to eight thousand halibut an’ six or seven thousand 
of cod in one day there before the wind came ’round 
easterly with a drivin’ snow, an’ you can just set it 
down as a fact that Abram Doak made up his mind 


BAD BLOOD, 


85 


he ’d stop right on Sable Island bar till Gabriel 
sounded his last trump. But we crawled off as no 
other men could have done, pullin’ the Spitfire's 
timbers apart that wicked she was more like a rail 
fence than a respectable schooner.” 

‘‘ Could you catch eight thousand halibut in one 
day ? ” Seth asked in surprise. 

“ Pounds, lad, pounds ! You ’ll be no kind of a 
sailor if you reckon your fish by the tails. We was 
out a little short of sixteen days that cruise, an’ each 
man ’s lay figured up two hundred an’ sixty-one dol- 
lars. That ’s the kind of a fisherman Cap’n Ben is ! 
Do you think I ’d knock ’round the galley of some 
of them droghers that sail out of Portland, gone 
anywhere from four to six weeks an’ gettin’ back 
with half a fare.^* A man at my time of life ain’t 
riskin’ his precious carcass for forty or fifty dollars 
a month ! ” 

“ Are you on a lay, too, Mr. Doak ? ” Tim asked. 

‘‘ That ’s what I am, though it stands to reason I 
sha’n’t do much fishin’; but let all the dories be out 
trawlin’, an’ who ’s goin’ to catch it? Why it ’s ten 
to one I ’ll be left alone aboard.” 

‘‘Will all them dories go out at the same time.?^ ” 
Seth asked as he pointed to the “ nest ” of boats 
which was lashed securely amidships. 

“ From the time we begin, unless the weather gets 


86 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


bad, you ’ll find ’em all in the water night an’ day, 
lad. It ’s while we ’re runnin’ that the men loaf 
’round, swappin’ yarns an’ muggin’-up every five 
minutes; but wait till we get to talcin’ fish, an’ then 
you ’ll see what work is aboard a Banker. They 
may talk about their Gloucester men, an’ it ’s mostly 
them as do the talkin’ ; but when it comes to bringin’ 
in fish good an’ plenty, right on the top of the 
market, give me Cap’n Ben rather than any bloom- 
in’ duck from Gloucester.” 

Mr. Doak had no further opportunity to air his 
views regarding the merits of Portland fishermen as 
compared with Gloucestermen, because the crew gath- 
ered in the galley ostensibly for a mug of coffee, but 
really to smoke and spin yarns while they watched 
Abram prepare for the noon-day meal an amount of 
food which apparently would have sufficed fifty men 
ashore. 

“ Gettin’ right back on that business of fishermen, 
eh, Abram ? ” Bob Aheam cried with a laugh as he 
dropped into the cuddy just in time to hear the last 
of Mr. Doak’s remarks. “ Them lads from Glouces- 
ter seem to give you a pain, don’t they.? For ten 
years back I ’ve never heard you have much to say 
’cept that. Now I ’ll tell you what it is, we ’ve got 
Bankers sailin’ out of Portland that are just as smart 
vessels, an’ we ’ve got as good fishermen as they have 


BAD BLOOD. 


87 


up Gloucester way ; but neither fleet can bring in any 
fish ’cept when they find ’em, though I ’m allowin’ 
some skippers can show better judgment than others. 
Now I ’ve seen a seiner that ’d work all ’round some 
of them ’ere fishermen from Gloucester. There was 
the Mary Willard, filled right up in the middle of the 
Gloucester fleet, an’ the cap’n jumped her into port 
with fresh fish twelve hours before any other craft 
showed up, yet there was n’t any one went very wild 
about it. We did n’t get out a brass band, or have 
the streets illuminated on account of what had been 
done. There ’s a good deal in blowin’ your own horn, 
but I never heard it brought in many dollars.” 

Bob’s reference to the Mary Willard provoked a 
perfect flood of reminiscences from his mates, and 
inasmuch as every man smoked vigorously, and now 
and then Abram, in his eagerness to hear all that was 
said, allowed some of the fried cakes to burn, it can 
well be fancied how thick was the air of the cuddy. 
Seth was actually forced to go on deck, and it would 
have pleased Tim if he could have followed; but in 
view of Mr. Doak’s command the lad thought it safest 
to remain where he was, preferring to be offered up 
as a martyr to the fumes of tobacco, rather than take 
the chances of incurring the cook’s wrath. 

During the remainder of that day and well into 
the night, the Hylow drove on toward the treacher- 


88 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


ous sands of Sable Island Bank with the wind abaft 
her beam, her deck fairly awash from stem to stern, 
and all hands, save Jerry Bates, and, possibly, the 
two lads, in the best of spirits. 

Only twice, and then when he came into the cuddy 
for his meals, had Tim seen the surly fisherman who, 
perhaps, would have drowned him before getting the 
better of his temper, and at each of these times 
the lad had quite as much as he could do to prevent 
the fear in his heart from showing on his face, for it 
really seemed as if Jerry Bates looked upon him as an 
enemy. 

When Seth crawled in that night by the side of 
Tim in the narrow bunk, the Hylow was storming 
along as if bent on an ocean voyage, with no time to 
lose, and when he awakened it was in fear and 
trembhng, for a thunderous noise had brought him 
bolt upright in the bunk, striking his head against 
the deck timbers with a thump that caused him to see 
stars. Then the Hylow tossed and plunged wildly, 
apparently making little or no headway. 

‘‘What is it.? What is it.?” Tim cried, scram- 
bling to the floor of the galley, and then pitching for- 
ward toward the companionway with no gentle force, 
missing the step by less than an inch as he slid down 
the deck. 

“ What is it.? ” Mr. Doak repeated in a grumbling 


BAD BLOOD. 


89 


tone as he swung himself gingerly out of the berth. 
“ It ’s Sable Island Bank, that ’s what it is, an’ if you 
youngsters don’t get a move on you won’t be takin’ 
the first fish.” 

Why it ’s night ! ” Seth cried in surprise. 

How are you goin’ to fish in the night? How can 
anything be done while the ship ’s knockin’ us about 
so bad? ” 

Bear in mind, lads, that a fisherman hangs with 
his eyelids, on a hand-liner. This ain’t no more ’n 
what you might call a pleasant, social seaway. Can’t 
see to fish, eh? Well, I’m allowin’ you’ll get your 
eyes open before a great while. There she goes! 
I ’ll bet a doughnut against a dollar it was Bob 
Ahearn that struck it ! ” Mr. Doak cried with a ring 
of triumph in his tone as the lads could plainly hear 
what sounded like a drumming on the deck. “ Cap’n 
Ben has anchored, as he always does, right in the 
thick of ’em. From now on you ’ll have a taste of 
what Bankers do when the fish are strikin’ in good 
an’ strong. Move ’round lively; we must get break- 
fast goin’ so ’s to be ready for ’em, an’ when things 
are weU started you may go on deck an’ see what kind 
of a fist you ’ll make at hand-linin’.” 


CHAPTER VI. 

HAND-LINING. 

After the drumming of the first fish told that the 
Hylow's crew had begun work, Tim and Seth, hav- 
ing done full duty in the galley, went on deck. It 
was yet dark; the schooner lay at anchor under the 
mainsail, and, standing at either rail were the men 
busily engaged in taking aboard huge cod or had- 
dock swinging in the line on which was a three-pound 
sinker and perhaps a twelve-pound fish, as handily as 
an inexperienced man might have swung a mackerel- 

jig- 

Each man was flinging his fish as fast as taken 
from the hook, behind or beside him as was most 
convenient, and during the short time of work the 
Hylow's deck was well covered, not a few of the men 
standing nearly knee-deep amid the catch. 

Bob Ahearn’s station was at the starboard rail 
near the galley, and he was hauling his line and 
throwing it out as if his very life depended upon tak- 
ing a certain number in the shortest possible space 
90 


HAND-LINING, 


91 


of time, while next him stood that surly seaman whom 
Tim had good reason to dislike, Jerry Bates. 

“ I thought you always fished from the dories. 
Bob,” Tim said, looking about in vain for a line that 
he might try his luck. 

“ Well, that ’s what we mostly do, lad, ’cept when 
we Ve clean decks, as is the case now. After we get 
to dressin’ down you ’ll find that ’ere nest of dories 
broken out, an’ about that time you an’ your partner 
will be havin’ your hands full. If you ’ve a mind 
to try your luck at this kind of work, tell Abram to 
get out some lines for you.” 

The cook, who had made ready the breakfast and 
was waiting only for the fishermen to eat it, quickly 
did as Tim desired, and in a few moments the two 
stowaways were hauling in what seemed to be huge 
fish, the weight of which told heavily upon their arms. 
So excited did they become that it seemed nothing 
less than sport, and they gave no attention to weari- 
ness when Bob Ahearn sternly ordered them to “ get 
some grub.” 

Then it was they realized how their arms and backs 
ached; how sore were their hands, and how fishy 
was the odor everywhere around. 

The crew of the Hylow went to breakfast whenever 
fancy dictated, and very little time was spent at 
table, for while the fish were taking hold so sharply 




ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


it was necessary they reap as large a harvest as 
possible. 

Not until nearly night-fall did the ‘‘ school ” 
strike off, and then came the word to reel in and set 
about dressing down. 

The tables, on which those who cleaned the fish 
worked, were set up, and the gurry-kids in which 
the cods’ livers were to be thrown were placed con- 
veniently at hand. On the combing of the hatch were 
stuck the cleaning knives, sharp as razors, and after 
each of the tired men had had what he called a “ bite,” 
but which was really a hearty meal, the work of 
dressing down began. 

Then it was that Tim and Seth got an idea of what 
their work aboard the Hylow might be when fishing 
was good, for from an hour before sunset until an- 
other day was beginning to dawn they stood by this 
table or that, passing up from the deck fish to the 
men who were dressing down, and having never a 
moment of rest save when he upon whom they waited 
stopped to change knives, or refresh himself with a 
tin cup of water from the scuttle-butt. It was back- 
aching work, even for those accustomed to it, but to 
the two stowaways who had never taken part in any- 
thing of the kind, it was really killing. 

When the last fish had been cleaned and packed in 
salt, the lads believed their time for rest had come. 


HAND-LINING. 


93 


instead of which Captain Ben ordered them to bear 
a hand with the cleaning up, and for an hour or more 
they were swabbing down the decks, emptying the 
gurry-kids into the butts, and otherwise playing the 
part of assistants to the busy men. 

“Now I reckon you youngsters may turn in for a 
spell ; but I ’ve got to bear a hand at baitin’ the 
trawls,” Bob Ahearn said with mock moumfulness, 
and Seth, whose eyes were almost closed despite his 
efforts to keep them opened, asked curiously: 

“ Is it much work to bait trawls ? ” 

“ Well, when you take a skate — that means a line 
with three or four hundred hooks on it — ^bait it in 
good shape, an’ coil it down properly, you ’ll think 
you ’ve done about a full day’s work, when, as a mat- 
ter of fact, you have only begun ; but you ’ll see 
enough of trawlin’ before we make Portland Head, an’ 
I ’m allowin’ sleep is what you need just now.” 

It was what the boys needed; they staggered be- 
low, not because of the movements of the vessel, but 
owing to exhaustion, and literally tumbled into the 
bunk, their eyes closing in slumber instantly they 
were stretched out at full length. 

Not until the trawls were baited and set did the re- 
mainder of the crew gain any rest from the arduous 
labors. Then it was not more than a two-hour trick 
below before word was passed for the dory-men. 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


The men came into the cuddy for dinner two or 
three hours after the time it would have been served 
if the schooner had been under way, yet the weary 
stowaways were not awakened until Jerry Bates, who 
was one of the “ second half ” in the order of meals, 
came below, flinging his sou’wester, the brim of which 
had been turned up and was half full of water, directly 
upon Tim ’s face. 

“ What are them kids sogerin’ for ? I thought 
Cap’n Ben did n’t keep cats aboard what could n’t 
catch mice,” he cried angrily, as if he was in some 
way disturbed by the slumber of the lads. 

That ’s a mighty mean trick of yours,” Abram 
exclaimed, half drawing back the mug of coffee which 
he was in the act of handing the surly fisherman. 
“ You ’ve took a spite agin that lad just ’cause of 
what was only an accident that might have happened 
to the best man aboard, an’ I call it brute’s play.” 

Tim was out of the bunk as quickly as any lad 
would come who had been treated to a salt bath, and 
stood there blinkering in bewilderment, not under- 
standing the cause of the rude awakening, when 
Bates roared: 

“ Give me that coffee, Abram, if you ain’t huntin’ 
for trouble, an’ make less talk about what I ’m doin’ 
with a couple of worthless scrubs we ’ve got aboard. 
It ’s enough to make an honest man grit his teeth.” 


HAND-LINING. 


95 


“ Which is somethin’ you won’t do, if it ’s a ques- 
tion of honesty,” Mr. Doak replied, and it is more 
than probable he would have read Jerry Bates a les- 
son without being careful to pick his words, but for 
the fact that just then Captain Ben summoned him 
on deck. There were then in the cuddy only the two 
stowaways, Ezra Snow, and the gentle Mr. Bates who 
was seemingly disturbed because Seth yet remained 
in the bunk. 

“ Get a move on there,” he cried, “ or I ’ll give you 
a lift! All hands workin’ like niggers, an’ you two 
down here takin’ your ease I ” 

“ Now see here. Bates, you let the youngsters 
alone,” Ezra Snow said in a placid tone, without 
raising his eyes from the savory dish of fried cods’ 
tongues and sounds with scraps of pork and potato 
hash. 

‘‘ You ’tend to your eatin’, an’ I ’ll mind my busi- 
ness,” Mr. Bates replied curtly, deceived by the mild 
manner of the superstitious sailor. Then to Tim he 
cried : “You two get on deck, or I ’ll give you this I ” 
As he spoke he took up one of the heavy boots 
which had been left near the stove to dry, and before 
either of the boys had time to obey the harsh order, 
however quickly they might have jumped, he flung 
it full at the head of One-one-four. Fortunately for 
himself, Tim ducked in time to escape the missile, but 


96 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


Seth received it full in the chest, and was knocked 
violently against the side of the bunk, whereupon Mr. 
Snow quietly reached across the table, grasping Jerry 
Bates by the wrist as if minded to do him some 
friendly service. 

“ You ’ll take my advice an’ leave them lads alone. 
That ’s what I said before, but likely you did n’t 
hear it.” 

« Let go there or I ’ll ” 

Mr. Bates raised the mug of coffee in his left hand 
as if to hurl it at Ezra, at the same time struggling 
to break the latter’s grasp, but it was as if an iron 
band encircled his wrist. 

“ Don’t throw the mug, ’cause it ’s a bad sign at 
this time in the day,” Mr. Snow said pleasantly, 
“ an’ as for gettin’ away from me when once I ’ve 
got a grip, there is them on this ’ere schooner as ’ll 
tell you it can’t be did.” 

“ I ’ll break your head ! ” Mr. Bates screamed, his 
face grown livid with anger as he realized how im- 
potent he was in Ezra’s grasp. 

‘‘ I ’m allowin’ you won’t do anythin’ of the kind, 
else I ’ll take hold of your throat with my other 
hand,” and Mr. Snow literally dragged the fisherman 
toward him until he was lying half across the table. 
Not until then did he raise his voice. “ Blast your 
ugly picture, I won’t have any Fore Street capers 


HAND-LINING. 


97 


for’ard here, an’ I heard Cap’n Ben say pretty near 
the same thing concernin’ the after part of this ’ere 
craft. I don’t know what the cap’n counts on doin’ 
if you don’t behave man fashion, but I ’ve got a clear 
idee of what I ’ll do if so be you rub agin my grain.” 

Then Ezra released his hold, and Mr. Bates slipped 
back upon the locker without having attempted to 
carry out his threat; but showed by quivering lip 
and glaring eyes what he would do save for the 
wondrous strength displayed by the superstitious 
fisherman. 

“ You youngsters can go on deck, or stay here, 
just as it pleases yer; there ’s nothin’ pertic’lar to be 
done as I knows of, till the dories come home, when 
you ’ll get the same dose you had last night,” Mr. 
Snow said in a friendly tone. ‘‘ Don’t let the idee 
slip into your heads that that son of a sea-cook ’ll 
attempt any mischief, ’cause if he does it ’ll be up to 
him to settle with me in case Cap’n Ben don’t take 
it up.” 

Tim had no doubt, after what he had seen, that Mr. 
Snow would be able to carry out the threat; but he 
was not at all certain Jerry Bates could be held in re- 
straint, and without loss of time he and Seth scuttled 
on deck, finding it almost deserted by the men, while 
of the nest of dories which had been lashed amidships, 
only one remained aboard. 

7 


98 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


“ Just turned out, have you? ” Captain Ben asked 
as he saw the two lads, and Tim replied, speaking 
very respectfully : 

“ We ’d have come sooner if anybody had wakened 
us, sir.” 

‘‘ If Abram did n’t call you I reckon that was a 
sign, ’cordin’ to the way Ezra ’d put it, that you 
was n’t greatly needed, but seein’ s you ’re here it 
may be as well to get out the grind-stone an’ sharpen 
the knives, for we ’ll use ’em to-night ’cordin’ to the 
looks of this,” and the captain gazed around upon 
the tiny specks which represented the dories belong- 
ing to the HyloWy all of which were between the 
schooner and that narrow strip of sand known as 
Sable Island. “ Abram ’ll show you about the 
job, an’ get you well to work. After his it ’s your 
business to ’tend to cleanin’ up, sharpenin’ knives, 
swabbin’ out the dories, an’, of course, bearin’ a hand 
when we ’re dressin’ down.” 

Then the captain shouted impatiently to those in 
the galley: 

Bear a hand, Ezra! You don’t need more ’n 
three hours to mug-up. If your stomach needs more 
fillin’ than it ’s got already, take the rest of the stuff 
in your hand.” 

This last command the superstitious sailor obeyed 
literally, and when he came up the companionway 


HAND-LINING. 


99 


with half of a fried pie and two fried cakes, his mouth 
was already so full it really seemed to Tim that the 
man must be choked if the schooner gave a sudden 
lurch. 

Ezra seemed to know why he had been summoned, 
for placing his mug of coffee in the bow of the dory 
yet remaining on deck, he laid hold with a will, and, 
with the aid of the captain, hoisted her out-board. 

“ Where ’re they goin’ ? ” Tim asked of Mr. Doak 
as the skipper and Mr. Snow pulled in the direction 
of the island, their dory literally standing on end 
more than half the time, so heavy was the sea. 

“ I ’m allowin’ the old man ain’t jist satisfied with 
this ground; wants to get nearer that bloomin’ bar 
I s’pose. He ’ll take a cruise ’round an’ make sure 
the boys are runnin’ the trawls all right. I ’m allow- 
in’ it would be a good idee for you to hustle a bit with 
whatever he sets you to do, for he ’s powerful strong 
at wantin’ a man to hop when he hollers.” 

Then Mr. Doak gave the stowaways their first les- 
son in grinding knives, and, that done, rolled himself 
into the galley, from whence came immediately after 
the sound of voices in angry dispute, telling that the 
cook and Mr. Bates were not getting on in a very 
friendly way just then. 

“ There don’t any of ’em seem to like that Jerry 
Bates,” Tim said half to himself as he held the knife- 


tLOrr 


100 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


blade carefully against the face of the grind-stone, 
and Seth replied grimly: 

‘‘ I don’t see how they could ; he ’s a reg’lar bear, 
that ’s what he is.” 

“ He ’s a good deal worse than that, Seth, an’ I ’m 
afraid he ’ll make it warm for us before this cruise is 
ended.” 

‘‘It’s too bad, ain’t it.? All the rest of ’em seem 
so kind’er chummy like, an’ try to help a fellow along. 
We ’ve got to keep our eyes peeled mighty sharp, if 
we ’re countin’ on earnin’ our way, for if we can’t do 
it that man Bates won’t be the only one down on 
us.” 

Mr. Bates came on deck while the lads were work- 
ing, but he gave no attention to them, and set about 
putting up what looked like pens on the deck of the 
schooner, which were intended, as the lads afterward 
came to know, as receptacles for the fish which were 
soon to be brought in by those who were running the 
trawls. He was still occupied with such labor when 
the first of the dories returned, loaded gunwale deep 
with silver cod and striped haddock, and the surly 
seaman ceased his labors sufficiently long to hook 
tackle on the craft, that she might be hoisted in-board 
after the cargo had been thrown into' one of the 
bins. 

It was Reuben Hardy and his dory-mate who had 


HAND-LINING, 


101 


come in with the first load, and the former said cheer- 
ily as he unloaded his craft, speaking to no one in 
particular : 

‘‘ It beats all how Cap’n Ben can strike a fishin’ 
ground. I believe he could sail the Hylow with his 
eyes shut till cornin’ to anchor, an’ then tell without 
the lead how many fathoms there were, an’ what kind 
of fish we ’d get. Runnin’ big, an’ plenty of ’em. 
If the other skates turn out anythin’ like ours, we ’ll 
have ten thousand ’twixt now an’ night.” 

Abram Doak came out of the galley as if believing 
Hardy was speaking to him, and, inspecting the take 
as it was coming aboard like a stream of silver, said 
approvingly : 

Big an’ fat. Have n’t been worried much lately. 
I ’m allowin’ we stand a chance of breakin’ the record 
this ’ere cruise, for it ain’t once in a hundred times 
that you can come to Sable Island Bank without 
findin’ a dozen or more craft ahead of yer. Here 
we are with not a soul in sight ! I ’d kind’er like to 
stretch my arms a bit, Reuben, an’ when you get 
them fish out of her I believe I ’ll pull ’round among 
the trawls just to show the lads how the thing ’s 
done.” 

‘‘ Do you mean that you are to take us .? ” Tim 
asked, finishing the last knife and sticking it in the 
hatch-combing ready for use. 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


loa 

That ’s what I ’m allowin’, if so be you ’re achin’ 
to take a cruise.” 

The sea’s mighty heavy for us to go out in a 
dory, ain’t it? ” 

“Heavy, lad? Why bless you this’s just like a 
mill-pond compared to what you ’ll find it here more ’n 
half the time ; but with that ’ere fog creepin’ in I ’m 
allowin’ we ’ll get quite a spell of weather, though 
the chances are it ’ll come easterly when we do catch 
it.” 

“ I thought we was gettin’ considerable now. 
’T ain’t what you could call a calm,” Tim said with 
a laugh, and then as the dory was unloaded he 
watched his chance to leap in when she rose on a 
wave, thereby winning applause from Reuben Hardy, 
who said approvingly: 

“ I would n’t wonder if there was the makin ’s of 
a fisherman in you, Tim. For a green hand you ’re 
showin’ considerable judgment already; I reckon 
Abram ’ll have to pass your mate in.” 

Seth was standing on the rail by the rigging, as if 
undecided whether he should make the leap or no, for 
the dory was jumping around so lively that the slight- 
est miscalculation would send him into the water ; 
but rather than be lifted aboard like a lubber he took 
the chances, and was fortunate enough to land on his 
feet in somewhere near the proper position. 


HAND-LINING. 


103 


Mr. Doak followed, and when the little boat was 
unhooked he bent to the oars as a sailor should, 
handling her with as much ease as another might the 
daintiest pleasure craft on a mill-pond. 

It was great sport, after the lads became accus- 
tomed to the sudden, seemingly erratic movements of 
the dory, to climb those swirling hills of water, and 
dive into the green valleys beneath, only to feel her 
rise again buoyantly as a cork when the yeasty 
waves seemingly threatened to engulf her. 

‘‘Where ’re we goin’, Mr. Doak.?” 

“ Over yonder where the boys are runnin’ the 
trawls.” Then the cook made his meaning plain by 
first explaining that a “ skate ” as used in connec- 
tion with trawls means one length of line with the 
hooks attached, which, wheh not in use are kept in 
tubs; that the tub was neither more nor less than a 
half-barrel in which the skate or trawl was coiled 
ready to be payed out without a hitch; that each 
end of the trawl was buoyed, as a matter of course, 
and the hooks attached hung down in the sea. Now 
to “ run ” a trawl meant for two men in a dory to 
lift the line across their boat, pulling the craft along 
as they unhooked the fish and rebaited the hooks, or 
in other words, they cleaned off the trap and set it 
over again, often getting, as Mr. Doak stated, a full 
load from one skate, or, in another case, no more than 


104 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


half as many fish as the dory could carry when they 
had run all the trawls. 

We ’ll have just about time to get over to yonder 
crew before that blessed smother shuts in,” Abram 
said as he pointed to the dory nearest in-shore, and 
Tim looked around to see some evidence of the fog 
regarding which the cook had spoken. 

Save that the horizon to the eastward was not as 
sharply defined as it was to the westward, he could 
see nothing on the surface of the sea to betoken any 
change ; but before half an hour had passed it was as 
if a thick curtain of wool had been let down from the 
sky, and was being pulled along, shutting out from 
view everything behind it. 

Nearer and nearer it came as if bent on making 
port at Sable Island, until in a twinkling, as it were, 
the Hylow was hidden from view, the wind dying 
away as the fog advanced. While the lads were yet 
straining their eyes to catch some glimpse of the 
schooner’s spars amid the vapor, they themselves 
were enveloped in the heavy cloud, and Mr. Doak 
cried in the tone of one who feels that he has been 
unfairly dealt with: 

“ It ain’t often I take a little jaunt like this when 
we ’re on the fishin’ grounds, an’ it seems as if I no 
more ’n get the idee into my head then up comes a 
fog to shut the whole thing out. I wonder Ezra 


HAND-LINING. 


105 


don’t find some sign in it ! Perhaps if I had n’t said 
good mornin’ or good evenin’ to anybody for a 
week before we left port, this would n’t have 
happened.” 

“ How ’ll we find our way back.^ ” Seth asked 
anxiously, and Mr. Doak replied carelessly: 

“ Never you mind about that, lad. The bother of 
it is that we sha’n’t strike them as we was headin’ for 
without considerable trouble. While the dories are 
out whoever ’s aboard the schooner will keep the bell 
goin’ till all hands are in agin.” 

“ But why don’t you turn back, if you can’t find 
those you want to ? ” 

“ Well, I was allowin’ we ’d pull about a bit so ’s to 
see how near blind luck would bring us,” and Mr. 
Doak buckled down to the oars as if in great haste 
to get nowhere in particular. 

Neither Tim nor Seth felt thoroughly comfortable 
to be thus sailing away from the Hylow when the fog 
was so dense that one could not see a boat’s length 
ahead of him; but Abram appeared to be enjoying 
himself so much that they could not well insist upon 
his turning back when the excursion had seemingly 
been planned for their special pleasure. Therefore 
on the little craft was urged; up and down she rose 
and fell on the long green surges, Mr. Doak pulling 
at the oars mechanically, as if he had been changed 


106 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


from a human being into a machine, until suddenly 
Tim cried: 

“ I can see something black ahead ! ” 

The warning came too late. The dory struck 
fairly amidships the craft for which Mr. Doak had 
been heading, rose up over her side as she yielded to 
the blow, and then, as Tim afterward said, “ twisted 
like a snake,” throwing the cook and his two assist- 
ants into the water. 



THE DORy STRUCK AMIDSHIPS, THROWING THE COOK AND HIS TWO 

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Ifc / V. 



CHAPTER VII. 


A LONG PULL. 

Tim Jones had fallen out of a boat twice before in 
the course of his venturesome life, and counted the 
mishap as something in the way of sport; but then 
it had been a case of going overboard on a calm day 
when the waters of the harbor were like glass, and 
was a very different proposition from being pitched 
out of a dory off Sable Island with the waves running 
high as they always do in shoal water. 

Seth and his mate were literally flung from the 
craft, owing to the collision and the sudden heel; but 
it surely seemed as if Mr. Doak must have lost his 
presence of mind for the time being, and instead of 
leaping out-board, went over with her, therefore, as 
a natural consequence, was held beneath the surface 
when Tim and Seth came up puffing and blowing like 
a couple of porpoises. 

“ Can you swim, Tim ? ” Bob Abeam shouted, leap- 
ing to his feet just in time to save himself from being 
hurled over the gunwale. 

“ I can keep paddlin’ ’round if you ’ll look after 

Mr. Doak an’ Seth,” the lad replied cheerily, as he 
107 


108 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


struck out bravely when a big wave lifted him on 
high as if bent on sweeping him ashore to that lonely, 
dangerous reef whereon so many brave men had lost 
their lives. 

Bob’s dory had withstood the shock of the collision 
because of the trawl line which served in a measure 
to hold her steady; but his mate, Joe Barker, had 
gone over the gunwale like a lump of lead, with a fair 
chance of being caught by one of his own hooks before 
coming to the surface. 

It was necessary Bob should throw off the trawl 
line before he could pull the dory around in the work 
of rescue, and, this done, he must pick up the oars and 
throw them between the thole-pins. He moved quickly, 
as only a thorough sailor can when a craft is being 
tossed like a cork on the wild waves; but a certain 
number of seconds were spent in such movements, 
and all the while Abram was hidden from view by the 
overturned boat. 

Seth had come to the surface within a few feet of 
where he went down, and Bob shouted as he swung 
the dory’s stern around with a mighty sweep of the 
starboard oar : 

“ Get hold, lad, an’ be handy with it 1 Then pull 
yourself in-board, if so be you can, for I ’ve got to 
look after the only cook we ’re likely to find on the 
Banks ! ” 


A LONG PULL. 


109 


It was as if Aheam did not wait to see whether 
Seth had obeyed the command, before he leaped over 
the gunwale, never stopping to throw off his oil- 
skins or boots, and to Tim, who was floundering about 
first on the crest of a wave and then hidden by green 
walls on every hand as he descended into the watery 
chasms, it seemed as if Bob had plunged straight to 
the bottom. 

Fortunately for himself, Seth had been in position 
to obey the hurriedly spoken command, and as he 
raised himself up until his chin was on a level with 
the stem-board of the dory, it seemed as if he was 
the only survivor of the four. 

“Tim! Tim! Where are you.^” he shouted 
wildly, and District Messenger One-one-four cried 
as a big wave carried him directly over the floats of 
the trawl: 

“Never mind where I am; but lend Mr. Doak a 
hand ! Pull the dory around so ’s Bob can get a 
grip on her when he comes up ! ” 

For one unaccustomed to small boats it was diffi- 
cult to obey this command ; but Seth did his feeble 
best, although it is doubtful if he could have swung 
the heavy craft around before all hands were drowned, 
had not Joe Barker suddenly made his appearance 
alongside, coming up out of the sea like a very 
clumsy mermaid. 


110 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


The dory was pulled down on her side fis he 
clutched the gunwale, working his way aft hand over 
hand until he could get hold of the stern, for it would 
be impossible to clamber over the side without over- 
turning the craft, and Seth leaped to the weather rail, 
believing he was about to be flung into the water again. 

Keep your wits with you, lad. Don’t give any 
heed to me ; but pull her head around so ’s Bob ’ll 
find her handy when he gets through foolin’ with 
Abram ! ” 

Seth did his best to follow the instructions; but 
he was so excited — perhaps frightened would be the 
better word — that he was unable to accomplish very 
much. It seemed to him certain all those in the 
water would be drowned, and equally as positive that 
the dory would be swamped despite his efforts. 

To the three fishermen, however, this was hardly 
more than an incident in their lives, and they set 
about the task of rescuing each other much as if it 
was nothing out of the ordinary. 

By the time Joe Barker had clambered in over the 
stern of the dory and taken the oars to pull back to 
the overturned boat, Bob Ahearn was waiting to be 
taken aboard, having dragged Abram out from be- 
neath the capsized craft, not without some difficulty, 
however, for the cook’s leg had become entangled in 
a cod-line. 


A LONG PULL, 


111 


How ’re you gettin’ on, lad? ” Joe called to Tim, 
who, as it seemed to Seth, was being carried rapidly 
toward the distant line of black which marked the 
location of Sable Island, and One-one-four replied, 
striving to the best of his ability to prevent a 
tremor of fear from being perceptible in his 
voice : 

“I’m all right! Have you got Mr. Doak?” 

“Ay, he ’s cornin’ aboard now, an’ we ’ll pick you 
up as soon as we ’ve emptied a little of the water out 
of him.” 

Although it takes some time to tell of what was 
done, it was hardly a moment from the time that 
Abram was flung into the water until he and Bob 
were clutching the stem of the dory, and neither one 
or the other appeared to be the worse for the involun- 
tary bath. 

Joe satisfied himself with one quick glance that 
the two men had a firm hold of the boat, and then 
it was as if he had no further care concerning 
them, but bent his back to the oars, heading the 
dory straight for the tiny speck which could faintly 
be seen amid the fog, knowing it to be the head of 
One-one-four. 

Tim was taken on board as if he had been a small 
halibut. Joe Barker gaffed him as the dory swept 
past, bringing him in-board floundering and blow- 


112 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


ing, at about the same time the cook and Bob Ahearn 
came over the stern. 

“Is everything all right.?” One-one-four asked 
when he had recovered his breath, and Bob replied 
as he turned to search with his eyes for the capsized 
dory, which was shut out from view by the fog: 

“ It will be, Timmy, as soon as we can pick up 
your boat, which may not be sich an easy job in this 
’ere smother. What possessed you to come out with 
a cook on your first excursion ? Don’t you know that 
about the most useless bit of timber aboard a fisher- 
man is a bloomin’ cap’n of the galley ? ” 

Bob did not appear to think it was necessary he 
should give any heed to the rescued ones ; this going 
overboard in pleasant weather was something of such 
little consequence that there was no good reason for 
speaking of it a second time. 

“ I did n’t think a dory would tip over so easy,” 
One-one-four said as he shook himself to throw off 
some of the water which weighted down his garments, 
while Mr. Doak was wringing out his jacket. 

“ Easy ? ” J oe cried as he fumbled under his oil- 
skins to learn whether his tobacco had been soaked 
to a pulp. “ What do you call easy ? When a 
shore-goin’ lubber pulls her up onto another craft, 
what do you think is likely to happen.? I never yet 
saw a cook that could be trusted outside the galley ! ” 


A LONG PULL. 


113 


“ You never did, eh? ” and now Abram gave heed 
to what was being said concerning him. ‘‘ You 
never saw the time when he was the only man in all 
the crew left aboard to pick you dory-men up when 
you ’d gone an’ lost yourselves in a smother like this ? 
I ’d like to know what you empty-waisted, imitation 
fisherman would do without a cook ! ” 

“We might come a leetle light on grub now an’ 
then ; but we ’d be able to haul a trawl without havin’ 
a lot of lubbers nosin’ ’round in a boat that they 
did n’t know how to handle.” 

“ Come to port a couple of points, Joe,” Bob, who 
was on his feet straining his eyes in search of the 
missing dory, cried, and as Barker obeyed, Mr. Doak 
said, directing his conversation to Seth who was in 
the stern-sheets with him: 

“ The longer you stay aboard of a fisherman, lad, 
the nearer you ’ll come to findin’ out that them as 
thinks the most of themselves is of the least account 
as sailors. When two of ’em is runnin’ a trawl they 
seem to think they ’re the only things on earth, an’ 
everybody else must give ’em a wide berth. I ’ve had 
more experience than I need with sich ’longshore 
swash as we ’ve got aboard the Hylow.’^ 

“All that may be true, Abram ; but you ’re needin’ a 
heap more experience in handlin’ a dory than you ’ve 
had yet. When we make Portland agin you ’d bet- 
8 


1145 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


ter have a little one built, so ’s you can sail her in a 
tub till you ’ve got some of the hayseed out of your 
hair. More to port, Joe ; if we get too far away from 
where that blessed cook beached his boat we ’ll have 
a sight of trouble to find her in this smother. My, 
my; but it is cornin’ in thick, an’ no mistake! All 
we ’re needin’ now to make Ezra certain Jim Sullivan 
hoodooed him by sayin’ good-bye, is for the wind to 
haul ’round to the east’ard while we ’re so far in on 
the shoal.” 

“ I should think that with two such bloomin’ good 
sailors aboard, it would n’t take more ’n an hour to 
pick up one little dory,” Mr. Doak said in a sarcas- 
tic tone, as Joe Barker pulled the boat around in a 
circle. Bob standing in the bow trying to make out 
a small lump of blackness squatting low in the water, 
which would betoken the whereabouts of the missing 
craft. 

“ There ’s a good deal of thinkin’ done by them as 
don’t know how to do anythin’ else,” Bob replied with 
a laugh. “ Seein’ would be more to the pint jest 
now, an’ we ’ll need a heap of it if we ’re to pick up 
the bottom of a dory in a fog like this. Move a bit 
lively, Joe, for it wouldn’t s’prise me if we began to 
feel more easterly wind than ’ll be comfortable within 
the next hour.” 

Then a long time of silence ensued, when the whine 


A LONG PULL, 


115 


of the oars in the thole-pins, and the slap-slap-slap- 
ping of the waves against the dory’s bow was all that 
could be heard. Joe pulled the little craft in a circle, 
while Bob kept a sharp watch, but nothing could be 
seen save the surging green waves and that thick 
smother of grayish vapor. 

“ Better give her up an’ finish runnin’ the trawl,” 
Mr. Doak suggested at length, and Seth looked at 
Tim in surprise that the cook should even propose 
running the trawl when it seemed to him as if their 
lives depended upon finding the Hylow within the 
shortest possible space of time. 

‘‘We ’ll run no more trawls this day,” Bob replied 
very decidedly. “ I ain’t hankerin’ on losin’ myself 
with the wind freshenin’ as it ’s doin’ now, for in 
less ’n an hour the Hylow will be haulin’ off into 
deeper water, if Cap’n Ben has n’t lost his head since 
I saw him last. I reckon we ’d better give it up as a 
bad job, Joe; it was n’t us as plunked the dory inter 
a trawl boat, so we won’t be called on to explain 
whether we ’d shifted our eyes inter the back of our 
heads.” 

“ You ’re right. Bob ; it won’t pay to spend good 
time huntin’ after what the cook lost, though it 
strikes me it would n’t be a bad idee to wind up the 
business, for there ’ll be no more trawlin’ till after 
we ’ve had a bit of wind.” 


116 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


‘‘ If we can’t strike a dory, how do you reckon 
we ’ll be able to sight a trawl-buoy ? ” Bob asked im- 
patiently, and then, as if the matter was settled be- 
yond discussion, he took up a second pair of oars as 
he seated himself on the forward thwart. 

“ Listen out for the Hylow^s bell,” Joe said as he 
swung the dory around, much as if knowing exactly 
how to steer for the schooner when it was impossible 
to see a boat’s length in either direction, and Seth 
asked timidly of Mr. Doak, who was sitting with his 
chin in his hands, thus making the hump on his back 
appear unusually large: 

“ S’posen they could n’t find the vessel, sir ? ” 

“ They would n’t be the first fishermen that got 
lost in a fog, nor they won’t be the last,” the cook 
replied gruffly. 

“ But what would we do if we did n’t find the Hy- 
low? ” the lad persisted, and Mr. Doak shrugged his 
shoulders as if he would bury his head completely. 

“ I reckon you can work it out as well as me. I ’ve 
seen a couple of men after they ’d been pullin’ ’round 
in a fog for four days, an’ you can take my word 
for it that they were n’t pretty to look at. But we ’ll 
pick up the Hylow all right this trip, lad, so don’t 
begin to hunt after trouble. We ’re mighty lucky in 
not havin’ Ezra with us, else he ’d be provin’ by some 
sign or another, that we was bound to go the same 


A LONG PULL, 


117 


way many other good men have gone before us. 
Fishin’ off Sable Island Bank ain’t the safest style of 
gettin’ a livin’ in this world.” 

But for the apparent unconcern of Bob and Joe, 
the two boys would have been thoroughly frightened, 
for the tone in which Mr. Doak had spoken, rather 
than his words, caused them to feel decidedly 
uncomfortable in mind. 

“ Don’t get inter the dumps ’cause we ’ve come 
across a bit of fog,” Bob said cheerily as he noted 
the expression on Seth’s face. “ You ’re bound to 
see considerable of this kind of weather before the 
Hylow makes the home port, an’ may as well get used 
to it at the start.” 

By this time there was good evidence that Bob 
Aheam had read the weather indications correctly 
when he predicted an easterly wind. Already it was 
freshening; the seas were growing choppy, and more 
than once did a green one pour water enough over 
the bow of the dory to suggest what might happen. 

“ Get to work with that bailin’ dish, one of you 
kids ! ” Bob cried when there were six inches or more 
of water in the bottom of the boat. “ Do you allow 
that we ’ll get along more lively if we carry sich a 
shiftin’ cargo r ” 

It was a positive relief to have something with 
which to occupy their minds and hands, and both 


118 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


lads scrambled for the tin can that was floating about. 
The wind chilled them until their water-laden gar- 
ments were like coverings of ice, and exercise was 
welcome. 

One-one-four succeeded in getting hold of the can 
first, and he worked with a will, but without succeed- 
ing in lowering the water because of the spray which 
came over the bow almost continuously. 

“ Take my hat, Seth,” and Joe gave the lad his 
sou’wester. “ It ’s worth a dozen footy things like 
that ’ere can, when you ’re tryin’ to lift water, though 
it makes what you might call an expensive bailer.” 

With the two working the best they knew how, and 
Mr. Doak lending a hand now and then, it was pos- 
sible to throw out the water as fast as it came in- 
board; but if the wind should increase to a gale it 
seemed a question whether even all three could keep 
the dory free. 

“What would you do if she filled.?” Tim asked, 
after having worked until the blood in his veins was 
heated. 

“ Then it would be a case of gettin’ out alongside 
an’ bangin’ on to the gunnel, as Joe an’ I had to do 
for a couple of hours last fall. It ’s astonishin’ how 
much a full dory will carry when you ’re holdin’ on 
from the outside.” 

“ Was it a gale like this when you had to do 


A LONG PULL. 


119 


that? ” Seth asked in a tremulous voice, and Bob 
replied with a hearty laugh: 

Bless your heart, lad, this ain’t any relation to 
a gale. We ’re only gettin’ what might be called a 
good breeze, though I ’m thinkin’ it ’ll freshen enough 
to suit even Cap’n Ben ’twixt now an’ mornin’. 
When Joe an’ I went out-board it was what you might 
call heavy weather ; but we had n’t got inter the 
scrape through any cheap cook’s lubberly handlin’ 
of a boat. We was runnin’ trawls in a fog pretty 
nigh as thick as this, when slap came one of them 
Miquelon half-breeds right over us — the same game 
Abram was tryin’ to play, though as luck would have 
it she did n’t strike us plumb amidships as he did. 
It was more of a glancin’ blow, an’ when she slid off 
inter the fog Joe an’ me had jest nothin’ more ’n 
a dory full of water — oars an’ every blessed thing 
gone. It looked like we ’d got through with the 
fishin’ business for good an’ all; but there was sense 
enough left in us to get over the gunnel without 
makin’ too much of a kick sich as might have sent her 
to the bottom, an’ there you can bet we held on for 
all that was in us.” 

‘‘ It was n’t what you might call a pleasant kind 
of a tea-party,” Joe broke in, taking up his portion 
of the story. “ Bob he kept on howlin’ ’cause it 
was too damp to smoke, an’ between whiles we yelled 


120 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


the best we knew how, thinkin’ there might be a 
chance of wakin’ Abram, who was asleep on board. 
It was the Mary Willard we ’d shipped in.” 

“ If Abram had been asleep you would n’t be mak- 
in’ an id jut of yourself now,” Mr. Doak interrupted 
sharply. “ I ’m allowin’ there ain’t another man be- 
tween here an’ the Georges who could have heard the 
yippin’ out er two half-drowned kittens that you was 
sendin’ forth. If I had n’t been ’tendin’ to business 
right up to the Queen’s taste, I ’d like to know what 
would ’a become of you.” 

Right you are on that tack, an’ I ’m the lad 
that ’s willin’ to give you credit for it ! ” Bob cried 
cheerily. ‘‘ My, my, but your ugly face did look 
mighty fine when we saw it over the rail as you 
steered the Mary down on us to a delicate turn! 
Don’t it strike you that we ought er be bearin’ some- 
thin’ of the Hylow by this time.? ” 

“ I ’m allowin’ that she lays more to the east’ard, 
an’ I thought the same when Joe laid his course ; but 
it was n’t for a cook to duff in when two sich gilt- 
edged fishermen as you was runnin’ things.” 

‘‘ An’ you did jest right! ” Joe cried emphatically. 
“ I ’m hopin’ you ’ll allers have as good sense. “ If 
anythin’, she ’s to the west’ard of us as we ’re 
headin’.” 

“ I ’m allowin’ we ’d show good sense by changin’ 


A LONG PULL, 


121 


our course if we don’t pick up the sound of her bell 
before a great while,” Bob interrupted as he bent 
forward in a listening attitude. “ ’Cordin’ to my 
way of thinkin’, she should be about abreast of us on 
one side or the other by this time.” 

Nothing save the whistling of the wind and the 
surging of the waters as they were being lashed to a 
foam came out from that curtain of vapor, and as 
the moments went by an expression of anxiety crept 
over the faces of the men, for there was more of dan- 
ger in the situation than they would have been willing 
to admit. 

Tim, who had been in the bow, now crawled aft 
that he might be by the side of his friend, and Seth 
whispered as the two snuggled close together : 

“ It looks as if we were playin’ in hard luck, don’t 
it.?” 

“Why.?” 

“ ’Cause we can’t find the Hylow in this fog, an’ if 
the wind grows much stronger I don’t believe we ’ll 
be able to keep the dory afloat.” 

“ Now look here, Seth,” One-one-four said, ear- 
nestly, pressing his friend’s arm as if to emphasize 
the words, “ don’t get into the habit of layin’ down 
when things begin to grow a little rough, else you ’ll 
never get along as you ought er. This ain’t the only 
time Bob an’ J oe have been caught out in the fog, an’ 


122 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


there ’s nothin’ to prove that they won’t find the 
schooner same ’s they ’ve allers done. Now ” 

At that moment it was possible to hear, far away 
to the eastward, the notes of a bell, and Mr. Doak 
said in a tone of quiet sarcasm as he fumbled under 
the stem-sheets for the horn which he knew was 
always kept there : 

“ Of course I don’t ’mount to anything as a cook, 
an’ it ’s certain I ain’t anywhere nigh bein’ a sailor 
same ’s some ’round here claim to be ; but I ’m not sich 
a bloomin’ id jut that I can’t come within half a dozen 
points when guessin’ as to where the Hylow is. 
These ’ere fishermen who know it all, an’ can’t learn 
the least little bit of a thing, are the boys to pull a 
fellow through in a fog storm ! ” 

“ I ’m willin’ to own right up that I was wrong,” 
Joe said with a laugh which had in it more of relief 
than of mirth, as he swung the dory around. “ Of 
course I knew there was n’t any great call to be so 
terribly pertic’lar when we had a navigator like Mr. 
Doak aboard, an’ so I ’ll allow I got careless. Tim, 
keep that horn a-tootin’ so ’s to coax whoever ’s at 
the bell to keep it goin’, an’ we ’ll put you aboard the 
Hylow in time for the genial an’ accomplished stew- 
ard of the ship to mix somethin’ for supper that we 
can eat without takin’ chances of pullin’ out all our 
teeth. Now drive her, Bobby ! ” 


A LONG PULL, 


123 

Then the two buckled down to the oars with a 
will, although it was not possible to drive the dory 
very much because of the wind and waves which 
seemed bent on holding her back. More than once 
before it was possible to see the spars of the Hylow 
through the fog, did a “ green one ” come aboard in 
such volume that nothing but the liveliest kind of work 
at bailing saved her from being swamped. 

It was to Tim as if his heart was in his mouth until 
the schooner loomed up amid the fog close aboard, 
and no sooner was his fear lest they might be lost 
in the bewildering vapor allayed, than he began to 
question in wonder and terror as to how it might be 
possible to board the Hylow now that she had been 
found, for the sea was so heavy by this time it seemed 
certain the dory would be crushed to splinters 
against the vessel’s side. 

To the three men this was such a simple matter 
that they did not stop to consider it, and in a twink- 
ling the dory was hoisted high in the air, to be 
speedily dropped on the nest of boats which were 
lashed to the deck, after which the boys clambered 
out, Tim feeling ashamed because he had been taken 
aboard as if he was a child, instead of coming over the 
rail in proper fashion. 

Because five had come in one boat, bringing no 
fish, all hands knew full well that some accident had 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


occurred, and Bob and Joe were called upon for ex- 
planations ; but Mr. Doak, motioning to Tim and 
Seth, scuttled away to the galley, saying when the 
boys had followed him: 

“ What ’s the sense of hangin’ ’round waggin’ 
your tongues over my runnin’ the trawl-dory down? 
Every cheap sailor aboard will think he ’s licensed 
to poke fun at me ; but I ’d like to see the biggest of 
’em say a word in this galley. I would n’t let on to 
Bob or Joe, but I know as well as they do that it was 
a lubber’s trick for me to do, though there ’ll be 
trouble, an’ a good deal of it, if any of this crowd 
rubs it in too thick.” 

Then Bob came into the galley in search of his 
pipe, for there was evidently no idea in his head that 
it would be well to change his water-soaked garments 
for dry ones, and Tim expected to hear him make 
some remark relative to the cook’s awkwardness; but 
in this the lad was mistaken. 

It ’s a good thing that all the boats are in,” he 
said as he began to fill his pipe. ‘‘ The skipper be- 
lieves we ’re goin’ to have a nasty night, an’ counts 
on clawin’ off shore as soon as it can be done.” 

“ What did he say ’bout losin’ the dory? ” Mr. 
Doak asked, anxiously. 

“ Never a word. He asked if we ’d lost a boat, an’ 
Joe told him yes, which ended it, perhaps on account 


A LONG PULL. 


125 


of his feelin’ a bit fussed about the schooner. It 
stands to reason he don’t want to run plumb out to 
sea, an’ yet that ’s what he ’s got to do.” 

‘‘ Unless he heads her for Halifax,” Mr. Doak 
suggested. 

‘‘ That ’s a harbor he said he ’d never make agin, 
unless it was the only one open. We had sich a row 
there the last time that he ’ll fight shy of the place 
as long as he can.” 

He ’d better take the chances of goin’ there, than 
steerin’ due south,” the cook said with an ominous 
shake of the head, as if to intimate that he could 
give yet more weighty reasons if it was necessary. 

I reckon we ’ll be gettin’ under way mighty soon ? ” 
They ’re at it now,” Bob replied as the tread of 
heavy feet told that anchor was being weighed. 

“ Then it stands us in hand to get a move on, lads,” 
Mr. Doak cried, much as though only then he remem- 
bered he had shipped as cook. “ What ain’t ready 
within half an hour will have to wait over till mornin’, 
I ’m thinkin’,” and he poured into the huge pot a 
supply of coffee such as would have provided Tim’s 
family with that beverage during an entire month. 

Surely Mr. Doak did “ get a move on ” that after- 
noon ; he went around the narrow cuddy like a flash, 
apparently doing half a dozen things at the same 
moment, and it seemed' to Tim as if the Hylow had 


126 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


hardly more than been gotten under way, before he 
passed the word for the “ first half ” to come below. 

“ Better stay where you are, lad,” the cook said 
when Tim would have gone on deck in order to give 
those who had been summoned a clear field for their 
eating. “ Everythin’ is awash up there by this time, 
an’ you could n’t get half way to the main hatch be- 
fore your feet would be knocked from under you. 
Crawl inter your bunk, you two lads, an’ when the 
gentlemanly boarders have filled their selves up we 
three ’ll have a bite.” 

‘‘Are we goin’ to leave all the trawls behind.? ” 
Seth asked as he crept into the narrow bed. 

“ For sure, lad, an’ mighty lucky we are that it ’s 
nothin’ more. Cut an’ run is the rule on this bank 
when the wind comes off to the east’ard, an’ if we ’d 
staid out there in the fog an hour longer we ’d been 
in for a nasty night of it, with little hope of ever 
fishin’ aboard the Hylow agin.” 

Then Captain Ben and those who were privileged 
to eat with him, or, in other words, the “ first half ” 
came down to table, and the stowaways lay still as 
mice, believing it would be better if they were neither 
seen nor heard. 


CHAPTER VIII. 


AN UGLY SCRIMMAGE. 

Even though the leaping and straining of the 
schooner had not told them, the boys would have un- 
derstood from the conversation of those at the table 
that the Hylow was running with the wind abaft the 
beam, and making decently heavy weather of it. 

It was a matter of indifference to Tim and Seth, 
whether it would be a case of running, laying to, or 
making port; but Mr. Doak was more curious, and, 
presuming upon his long acquaintance with Captain 
Ben, ventured to say in what he intended should be 
a careless tone: 

“ I ’m allowin’, Cap’n, that we ’ll see Halifax if 
this ’ere wind holds too strong for fishin’.” 

“ If you do, it ’ll be ’cause I can’t help myself,” the 
master of the Hylow replied curtly. “ There are 
some aboard this schooner who must bear in mind 
that when we put into port in September I allowed 
it ’d be the last time, ’cept it was to put off cargo or 
take on stores. When the crew of a Portland fisher- 
man think there ’s nothin’ left for ’em to do but 
127 


128 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


buck up agin a crowd of Gloucestermen, makin’ fools 
of themselves with the idee of showin’ who can raise 
the biggest row without gettin’ into jail, it ’s time 
our fleets kept out of harbors while we ’re on the 
Banks.” 

“ I reckon you ’re right, Cap’n. I reckon you ’re 
right,” Abram said meekly, and with a certain note 
of apology in his voice ; “ but all the same this night 
promises to be decently rough for outside work.” 

“ Not so bad as was this crew that night,” Captain 
Ben said curtly. “ Unless I ’m losin’ my memory, 
there ’s a certain half-cripple of a cook who under- 
took, the last time we made Halifax, to buck agin a 
policeman who counted on takin’ a lot of brawlin’ 
sailors to the lock-up, an’ it ain’t for him to figure 
how rough the night may be before us, ’cause nothin’ 
can come up to the time you lads distinguished your- 
selves in Halifax.” 

“Well now, Cap’n Ben,” Abram began in an in- 
jured tone, as he wedged himself on his private 
stool between the stove and the bulkhead. “ It ain’t 
no ways right for you to call me half a cripple on 
’count of my back’s bein’ what you might call 
crooked. I ’m allowin’ I can hold my own agin the 
most of ’em aboard this ’ere schooner.” 

“ Yes, Abram, that ’s the trouble with you. 
You ’re always allowin’ you can hold your own agin 


AN UGLY SCRIMMAGE. 


129 


anybody ; but when you come right down to dots you 
know as well as I do that you ain’t built for fightin’.” 

“ Nor for handlin’ a dory, when it comes to that,” 
Bob Ahearn said with a laugh. “ When them as 
calls themselves sailors gets to makin’ one boat climb 
right up over another, an’ that other runnin’ trawls, 
it ’s time to reef down, ’cordin’ to my way of 
thinkin’.” 

Mr. Doak did not think it advisable to make any 
reply to this remark, but screened his face from view 
so far as might be by the stovepipe, and a moment 
later the master of the Hylow went on deck, leaving 
the remainder of the first half yet at table. 

‘‘ So he ’s goin’ to put us outside in this smother 
by way of gettin’ even for what was done in Hali- 
fax,” Ezra Snow grumbled when he believed the cap- 
tain was not within ear-shot. “ It would n’t surprise 
me a little bit if he kept on runnin’ jist for the sake 
of showin’ who ’s skipper, an’ a fine time we ’ll have 
of it. What ’s the sense of havin’ all four lowers on 
her if we’re only to stand off the Banks.? We’ll 
be makin’ fifteen knots two hours from now, an’ find 
ourselves on the Irish coast before this blow is over, 
for, ’cordin’ to all signs, we ’re goin’ to have a 
tough one.” 

“ What would you do with her, Ezra, if you was 
skipper .? ” 


130 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


“ Give her a double-reefed mains’il with a fore an’ 
j ib, an’ even then we ’d be gettin’ into deep water 
too fast.” 

“ Perhaps it might be a good idee for you to men- 
tion to the skipper what you know about handlin’ a 
fisherman,” Abram said in a tone of mild sarcasm, 
“ an’ most likely he ’d ask if you would n’t be so 
kind as to take charge of her till we got the proper 
kind of weather agin.” 

“ If I was the man as tried to take a dory to sea, 
an’ lost her at that, it strikes me I would n’t be quite 
so free with my tongue,” Mr. Snow said curtly, and 
then he followed the captain. 

When the second half came below they reported 
every indication of a nasty night, and were by no 
means backward in grumbling because the captain 
had decided not to make port. Mr. Bates had very 
little to say on the subject, but that little was what 
might have been expected from the man. 

“ Ben Willard counts himself an almighty smart 
skipper I s’pose ; but he has n’t given any very 
strong show of it since I came aboard. There ’s 
more ’n he who knows Sable Island Bank, an’ a pile 
what don’t do so much braggin’ would have sense 
enough to make port on a night like this.” 

No one made any reply to this remark. Some of 
the Hylow^s crew had sailed with Jerry Bates before ; 


AN UGLY SCRIMMAGE. 


131 


very many of them knew him by reputation, and, be- 
cause of the exhibition of temper which he had al- 
ready given, none were favorably disposed toward 
him, as perhaps he suspected by their silence when- 
ever he aired his opinions. 

The second half were off duty, and it would not be 
their trick on deck for an hour or more yet; there- 
fore all remained in the cuddy after the meal was 
finished, smoking, and lounging on the lockers or in 
the bunks, while Mr. Doak and the boys took their 
turn at table. Mr. Bates, as if bent on making 
himself as disagreeable as possible, took possession of 
Abram’s stool, pulling it out from behind the stove 
and placing it at the foot of the companion-way, 
where every one who moved about must necessarily 
crowd past him. 

‘‘ How do you reckon I ’m goin’ to do any work 
in this ’ere cuddy, small as it is, with you skulkin’ 
under foot.^^ ” Mr. Doak asked angrily, as he seated 
himself at the table, his back almost touching Mr. 
Bates’s knees, with Tim at his right and Seth at his 
left hand. 

“ I don’t know how you ’re goin’ to do it, an’ care 
less,” the surly Jerry replied. “If you’ve got any 
rule aboard this ’ere schooner tellin’ where a man ’ll 
spend his time an’ where he sha’n’t, I ’d like to have 
it printed down so ’s to see it without too much 


132 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


trouble. It ’s my trick below, an’ I ’m countin’ on 
stoppin’ here.” 

“ I don’t know as there ’s any cast-iron rule,” 
Abram grumbled as he heaped the boys’ plates high 
with food ; “ but it ’s generally allowed that decent 
sailors ’ll keep out from under the cook’s feet. How 
do you reckon I can get ’round this cuddy with you 
settin’ there ? ” 

“ I don’t see you tryin’ to get ’round very lively 
just now. What do you want.? Eat an’ work at 
the same time.? ” 

Mr. Doak evidently thought it advisable to hold his 
peace rather than provoke a quarrel, for it was evi- 
dent Jerry Bates would not be displeased at indulg- 
ing in a row if he had the shadow of a provocation. 
He remained at the foot of the companion-way dog- 
gedly, as if to show that he claimed the right to re- 
main wheresoever he chose, puffing clouds of smoke 
deliberately in Seth’s face until the lad nearly lost 
the desire for food. 

It could readily be seen that the surly sailor had 
succeeded in making the occupants of the cuddy feel 
decidedly ill at ease, for instead of spinning yams, 
discussing the possibilities of the cruise, or complain- 
ing of this thing or that, as would ordinarily have 
been the case, all remained silent save Mr. Doak, who 
strove unsuccessfully to carry on a cheery conversa- 


AN UGLY SCRIMMAGE. 


133 


tion with the lads. The captain of the galley even 
went so far in the effort as to criticise adversely his 
own handling of the dory which had been lost, and 
strove to provoke Tim into describing his sensations 
while floating on the crest of the wave when Bob was 
struggling to bring him, the cook, out from beneath 
the overturned boat. 

Tim replied to every question which Mr. Doak 
asked, but did not venture more than that, and, 
as a natural consequence, the conversation was not 
spirited, until Ezra Snow, who was occupying one of 
the bunks, finally felt called upon to remark: 

“ It ’s a mighty bad sign when you find a kill- joy 
among a crew of this size. I ’ve noticed more ’n 
once, for I ’ve run up agin a few of them cattle in 
my time, that when you get ’em aboard there ’s not 
only bad luck in fishin’, but everythin’ else goes 
wrong. If I was one of them ’ere ducks as makes 
laws for the rest of the people, I ’d keep folks like 
that in jail durin’ the fishin’ season so ’s they 
would n’t take the bread out of honest people’s 
mouths. 

“Is it me you’re callin’ a kill- joy?” Mr. Bates 
asked in a threatening tone as, rising to his feet, he 
kicked the stool across the narrow cuddy, splinter- 
ing it into a dozen pieces. 

Ezra Snow did not appear very much alarmed by 


134 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


such a show of temper. He pretended to light his 
pipe; but it was easy to see that he kept a sharp 
watch over Mr. Bates’s movements as he replied: 

“ I ’m allowin’ that them as sich a name fits can 
take it that I had ’em in my eye, if you ’re so dis- 
posed, an’ it don’t seem as if there was any great 
call for me to go out of my way in order to beat 
sense into them as don’t care to understand.” 

“ It ’s time some of you chump fishermen were 
made to understand how to treat your betters ! ” Mr. 
Bates cried, his face paling with passion, and Ezra 
rose leisurely to his feet, laying his pipe with ex- 
aggerated care on the locker beside him, as he 
drawled : 

“ If you ’re countin’ on givin’ any lessons in per- 
liteness, I reckon it ’s about time when you ’d better 
begin, seein ’s I ain’t no ways busy just now.” 

The speaker was standing less than three feet from 
where Seth sat, and it would not have been a difficult 
matter for Bates to have passed the lad without in- 
terfering with him. Instead of making any attempt 
at doing this, however, he leaned across the table, 
raising his hand to strike Mr. Snow just as the 
schooner plunged down from the crest of a wave. 
In a twinkling he was thrown, or assisted himself to 
be thrown, directly upon Seth, the two falling to the 
deck at the feet of Ezra, with Jerry Bates uppermost. 


AN UGLY SCRIMMAGE, 


135 


There was a shriek of pain from the boy, an ex- 
clamation of rage from the man, and then, while still 
prostrate upon the deck. Bates dealt the lad a wicked 
blow full in the face as he cried savagely: 

“ Get in my way, will yer ? I ’ll show you how to 
keep your place ! ” 

He had raised his hand to strike again when Ezra 
leaped directly upon him, forgetting, evidently, that 
Seth was underneath, and during three minutes or 
more the two men struggled and fought across the 
cuddy floor most desperately. 

Then their shipmates, recovering from the stupe- 
faction which had come with the first attack, took 
a hand in this scrimmage by pulling the two men 
apart and to their feet. 

It was to Tim something most terrible, this battle 
in that narrow place while the schooner stormed 
along, rising abruptly now, and again falling sharply 
into the trough of the heavy seas; everything mov- 
able thrown here and there by the struggle of the 
combatants, and above all the terrible imprecations 
of the sailor who seemed eager for a fight. Master 
Jones was flung beneath the table by the side of Seth 
during the short combat, while Abram received a 
blow — for Bates was striking right and left without 
regard as to whom he hit — which sent him fairly 
on top of the stove. The huge pot of coffee was 


136 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


overturned, and the table entirely cleared of dishes. 

Reuben Hardy had grappled with Bates while his 
dory-mate took charge of Ezra, who by this time was 
in a raging passion, and while the two angry men 
were thus held, each powerless to work the other a 
mischief. Bates gave vent to the direst threats of 
what he would do with the crew of the Hylow, or even 
her captain, if any one dared interfere with him 
again. 

“ I can tell you what ’ll happen to you this blessed 
minute if you don’t keep your ugly mouth shut ! ” 
Reuben Hardy cried impatiently as he got a firmer 
hold from behind on Bates’s throat, and, placing his 
knee on the sailor’s back, bent him over it until the 
latter was like to be strangled. 

Meanwhile no one had given any heed to Seth, who 
lay where he had fallen, making no effort to rise, 
or even to twist himself from beneath the feet of the 
men. Tim, having received an ugly bump on the 
head and a blow on his nose which caused the blood 
to flow freely, thought of no one save himself, while 
Abram was fully occupied in nursing an arm which 
had been severely burned by the boiling coffee. 

‘‘ Now look here, Ezra, it ain’t for you to keep this 
fight up,” Reuben Hardy cried appealingly as Mr. 
Snow struggled to free himself. “ You ’re a decent 
sailor, which is morn ’n can be said of this whelp, an’ 


AN UGLY SCRIMMAGE. 


137 


I ’m lookin’ for you to stop the row. Cap’n Ben ’ll 
take care of Bates.” 

“ It ’ll be better for him if he don’t try it,” the 
angry man screamed, and Ezra, understanding that 
by making any attempt at punishing the fellow he 
would be laying himself open to nearly as much 
blame as if having begun the trouble, said to Reuben 
Hardy’s mate: 

“ It ’s all right, lad. You need n’t keep your 
hand on me. I ’m through.” 

Then, on being released, he seated himself on the 
locker and proceeded to light his pipe as if nothing 
out of the common had occurred, although one could 
see by the trembling of his hands how strongly anger 
yet had a hold upon him. 

“ Now, then, a couple of you help me carry this 
fellow on deck,” Reuben Hardy cried. “ My bunk 
is in this cuddy, an’ I ain’t minded he shall stay 
where he don’t belong ; besides, it ’s high time Cap’n 
Ben knew what ’s been goin’ on.” 

It was not necessary Reuben should make more 
than one appeal for help, because all present believed 
his suggestion a wise one. Despite his threats and 
kicks Mr. Bates was dragged out of the cuddy and 
thrown on deck, which by this time was awash with 
the spray which came over the weather-rail and the 
waves that were driven aboard to leeward. 


138 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


Not until the cuddy was thus free of the man who 
had broken the peace did any one take note of the 
fact that Seth remained upon the deck as if unable to 
move. Then it was Ezra who discovered that the 
boy appeared to be in a serious plight. 

“ How is it with you, lad.^ Why are you stickin’ 
to the deck when the scrimmage is over.? ” 

Seth made no reply, and Ezra raised him in his 
arms until it was possible to see that he was deathly 
pale. 

“ Are you hurt bad, old man ? ” Tim cried, forget- 
ting his own pain in the fear that his friend had 
been seriously injured. 

‘‘ I ’m blessed if he has n’t gone an’ fainted ! ” 
Abram exclaimed. “ Some of you get water. I ’ve 
hear ’n it said that ’s what ’s needed to bring folks 
’round when they get upset.” 

Ezra laid his burden upon the locker as gently as 
the plunging of the schooner would permit, but was 
forced to hold him there — otherwise he would have 
speedily been thrown off — until the mug of water had 
been brought, when Abram began in a clumsy fashion 
to wet the boy’s face with the tips of his fingers. 

“ I ’ve heard about these ’ere high-toned women 
slumpin’ off into faintin’ fits when things did n’t go 
just to suit ’em, but I never s’posed men or boys was 
took that way,” the cook said in a tone of bewilder- 


AN UGLY SCRIMMAGE, 


139 


ment. “ Ain’t there any society man ’round here as 
has had experience in this kind of business ? ” 

“ Folks say the first thing is to cut all the neck- 
gear, so ’s there won’t be any trouble about the 
breathin’,” some one suggested, and Abram at once 
set about unbuttoning the boy’s shirt, but before 
having finished he had, between his awkward move- 
ments and the plunging of the Hylow, overturned 
the mug so that its contents struck the sufferer full 
in the throat. This heroic treatment, while perhaps 
not the proper one, had the desired effect, for im- 
mediately the lad opened his eyes, and Tim, who had 
begun to fear his friend might be dead, cried in a 
trembling voice: 

“ What ’s the matter with you, Seth ? What 
makes you act so queer? Not hurt very bad, are 
you ? ” 

“ It seemed as though I was when Jerry Bates 
struck me in the face ; but I ’m all right now,” and 
the boy attempted to sit upright, but Mr. Doak held 
him firmly down. 

“ Stay where you are, lad, till we ’re sure you ain’t 
goin’ off into one of them spasms agin, for that ’s 
where you catch us in a weak point, seein ’s we don’t 
know how to tackle it. Now when you ’re feelin’ 
good an’ strong I ’ll give you your head. My, my, 
but that was a wicked blow he gave you under the 


140 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


ear ! ” and the cook stepped aside slightly that all 
might see where the reddened skin was puffing up. 

“ I ’m all right now, ’cept there ’s a good deal of 
ache left,” and as Abram released his hold the lad 
struggled to rise to his feet, but it was as if his legs 
gave way beneath him, and he would have fallen 
to the deck if Mr. Doak had not caught him. 

“ It seems you ain’t quite yourself after all, lad. 
I reckon we had better get you into one of the 
bunks.” 

“ There ’s somethin’ the matter with my leg,” Seth 
said, striving unsuccessfully to repress a moan of 
pain. 

“ I reckon you ’re a bit shaky on it, seein ’s how 
you got the worst of that ’ere scrimmage. It did n’t 
come into my head that that brute of a Bates an’ 
Ezra had you underneath ’em, till it was all over. If 
you ’ll bunk in there a bit I ’ll set the coffee goin’. 
What you want is to mug-up jest now.” 

“ There ’s somethin’ the matter with my leg, Mr. 
Doak,” Seth persisted, and there was a note of anx- 
iety in Ezra’s voice as he said in a tone of command : 

“ Get back there on the locker, an’ let me see 
whether you ’ve made a mistake or not. I ’m allowin’ 
there ’s been a chance for you to break your leg, but 
it don’t kind’er seem possible.” 

Ezra Snow laid no claim to being skilled in such 


AN UGLY SCRIMMAGE. 


141 


matters, although he had more than once assisted 
in setting, after a clumsy fashion, bones that had 
been broken on shipboard, but only the most super- 
ficial examination was necessary to convince him that 
Seth had indeed told the truth, whereupon he ex- 
claimed in a tone of fear: 

“ It ’s a fact, mates, the poor lad’s leg is broken, 
an’ it seems to me it ’s a bad job. Clean out one of 
them ’ere bunks, an’ put all the blankets you ’ve got 
into it.” 

Every person in the cuddy sprang to obey this 
command, and in a very short time the injured lad 
was lying at full length on as comfortable a bed as 
could be had aboard the schooner, while Abram, with 
a tin basin of water, was standing by bathing the 
sufferer’s forehead lest he should faint again. 

“ Now hold him in, a couple of you, so ’s he won’t 
shake about, an’ I ’ll find Cap’n Ben ; he ’s the only 
man aboard who can tackle a job like that.” 

Tim was so sorely distressed that he could not 
give words to the sympathy which was in his heart, 
but stood helplessly by, watching every movement 
that was made, and wishing most fervently it might 
be possible for him to do something toward relieving 
the suffering which he could see written on his com- 
panion’s face. It seemed to him as if Ezra would 
never return with Captain Ben, so slowly did the 


142 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


seconds pass, and it was as if a full hour had elapsed 
before the master of the Hylow entered the cuddy. 

“ It won’t take much more to make me believe that 
Jim Sullivan really hoodooed this crew when he said 
good-bye to Ezra,” the captain exclaimed as he came 
down the companion. “ First we run into fog when 
all the trawls are set; then we lose a new dory by 
Abram’s foolishness, and, worst of all, have got 
aboard a brute that don’t deserve to consort with 
respectable fishermen. How is it with you, lad? ” 
he asked as he took Seth by the hand. “ Feelin’ 
kind er down in the mouth, eh ? ” 

“ I got hurt, sir, an’ it aches pretty bad.” 

“ I reckon there ’s no lie about that. If what 
Ezra told me is true, you ’ll have to stand a bit more 
of the ache, seein ’s how fishermen are pretty rough 
doctors. We ’ll have you done up shipshape just as 
quick as possible, for it won’t be the first broken 
bone I ’ve set on the Banks, though I don’t know that 
I ever tackled one in a livin’ gale, for that ’s what 
we ’re swarmin’ through now.” 

Captain Ben began his work by ordering Ezra to 
tear into strips suitable for bandages such of the 
blankets as were most worn, and then, calling Abram 
to assist him, he set about undressing Seth. 

While this was being done Tim stood helplessly 
by, eager to be of some assistance, and yet knowing 


AN UGLY SCRIMMAGE, 


143 


there was nothing he could do. It was found that 
the bones of Seth’s right leg had been broken just 
below the knee, and the idle ones in the cuddy were 
set to work fashioning thin strips of wood which 
could be used as splints. Not until everything was 
ready at hand did Captain Ben begin the difficult 
portion of his task — drawing the bone into place — 
and as he did so he said soothingly to the lad: 

‘‘ Yell all you want to, my boy, for I ’ve got to 
hurt you a bit now. Tim, you stand by with some 
water in case he ’ll be wantin’ a drink, an’ both of 
you are to grit your teeth hard, rememberin’ that in 
a few minutes the painful part of this ’ere job ’ll be 
over.” 

Seth bore up wondrously well, or so Tim believed. 
One-one-four was proud of his mate because he held 
his peace when the agony was greatest, but that he 
suffered severely could be told by the great drops 
of perspiration which were forced out on his forehead. 

« Try not to think of it, Seth,” One-one-four whis- 
pered. “ Remember ’bout your Uncle Joshua’s 
cornin’, an’ what a high old time you ’re goin’ to have 
livin’ on the fat of the land with nothin’ to do. 
Kind er keep in mind how much worse off you ’d be if 
the steamship fellows had got hold of you, an’ sent 
you back to Liverpool. Forget it, old man, for- 
get it ! ” 


144 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


‘‘ I wish I could,” Seth said as he struggled bravely 
to choke back a cry of pain. I wish I could ; but 
they sha’n’t hear me make any noise, no matter how 
much he hurts me.” 

Rough in his ways though Captain Ben was, he 
did his work with a certain womanly tenderness, 
soothing Seth by words as best he could, and One- 
one-four then decided that the world of Portland 
did not know half of the skipper’s good qualities. 

“ I bet I ’ll blow his horn when I get back ! ” Tim 
whispered to Seth when, the bones having been drawn 
into place, and the splints laid on to hold the limb 
immovable, the master of the Hylow deftly put on 
the rough bandages. “Feel better, don’t you?” 

“ It aches pretty bad, Tim, but don’t you be afraid 
I ’ll holler, ’cause I won’t.” 

“ Of course you won’t,” Captain Ben said cheerily. 
“ You ’ve held up like a hero through the worst of it. 
Now when I ’m through, an’ you ’ve got nothin’ to 
do but stay where you are, you ’re goin’ to keep 
your upper lip stiff, as a lad should.” Then to the 
cook he added : “ There, Abram, I reckon that ’s done 
in what you might call proper Banker’s fashion. It 
ain’t tied up like a doctor ’d do it, but I ’m allowin’ 
the bone ’s in shape, an’ that ’s the biggest part of 
the battle. The lad must be made fast in the bunk 
so he won’t fetch away, an’ it strikes me the best thing 


AN UGLY SCRIMMAGE. 


145 


to do is to get a spare jib out of the lazaret; pack 
that in behind him, an’ nail a board on fore an’ aft 
to make certain he won’t be pitched out, ’cause the 
Hylow's likely to do some high an’ mighty tumblin’ 
before momin’.” 

“ Then you ain’t goin’ to take her into port,” the 
cook said as if he was just a trifle disappointed. 

“ It could n’t well be done to-night even if I was so 
disposed, which I ain’t. In the mornin’ we ’ll kind er 
turn this thing over, an’ see what we ’d best do. 
Till then, look to it that he don’t have a chance of 
bein’ knocked ’round. Tim, hold your mate steady 
till his bunk ’s fixed up, an’ after that take care of 
him.” 

Then Captain Ben went out on the wave-swept 
deck once more, and Abram set about obeying the 
orders which he had given. 

zo 


CHAPTER IX. 


THE INVALID. 

Not until the invalid had been so packed into the 
bunk that it was impossible for him to be tossed 
about, however violently the schooner might leap or 
roll, did any of the galley’s occupants speak, save 
when Tim whispered words of encouragement to his 
crippled mate. 

Ezra and Abram had folded and rolled the spare 
jib until it fitted into the bunk, filling up all the 
space even with the deck timbers, save so much of the 
width as was occupied by Seth. Then, with a board 
nailed on the front and rising twelve inches or more 
in height, the helpless lad was in such snug quarters 
that unless the Hylow turned a complete somersault 
it would be impossible to throw him out. 

“ Nobody but Ben Willard would have thought of 
such a trap as this ’ere,” Mr. Doak said when, his 
task completed, he steadied himself against the violent 
motion of the vessel in order to admire his own handi- 
work. “ It was a-puzzlin’ me to know how we could 

lash him down, ’cause it stands to reason that a lad 
146 


THE INVALID, 


147 


with a broken leg has got to be kept in one position 
till the bones begin to weave together, so to speak. 
I ain’t what you might call a doctor, havin’ no leanin’ 
that way, an’ I ’m kind er puzzled to know how 
it is that two pieces of bone can be made into one, 
unless they sprout same as potatoes do, an’ come to- 
gether that way.” 

“ Who ever heard of a bone sproutin’ ” Ezra 
asked in a tone of disdain. “ It ’s a good thing you 
don’t lay any claims to bein’ a doctor, ’cept doctor 
of the galley, ’cause your ignorance does really 
give me a pain. How ’re you feelin’, lad, by this 
time.? ” 

“ Oh, I ’m all right,” Seth replied bravely, as he 
twisted his head into the pillow formed of blankets 
lest any one should see the tears in his eyes. 

“ Seth ’s got sand, that ’s what ’s the matter,” 
One-one-four said in a tone of admiration and ap- 
proval. But what about that big, overgrown 
bully that put him in this shape .? What ’s goin’ to 
be done to him.? If Cap’n Ben counts on standin’ 
’round an’ lettin’ that duffer break people all up 
whenever he takes it into his head, then I ’m through 
with bein’ a fisherman, an’ never want any more of 
the business. I wonder why Bob Ahearn don’t come 
here .? ” 

“ He an’ Joe Barker are at the wheel, lad, an’ will 


148 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


stay there till it ’s their trick below. Seein’ ’s how 
I ’ve got to have a taste of that ’ere work when their 
time ’s up, I reckon I ’ll fire in a little coffee, an’ 
get a mouthful of smoke, for it ain’t goin’ to be any 
picnic to stand at the helm of the Hylow durin’ the 
next two hours.” 

“ You ’ll be mighty lucky if you have a chance to 
mug-up before you go,” and Abram set about re- 
plenishing the huge pot. “ In all my fishin’ — an’ 
I ’ve been in some snug places on the Banks — this is 
the first time a man ever caught me when he 
could n’t mug-up as often as he pleased, an’ it ’s all 
through that pirate of a Jerry Bates! Just look 
at this ’ere deck! Them planks was as clean as a 
whistle when that miserable bunch of bones began 
his funny business.” 

“I’m allowin’ that Jerry’ll put in what you 
might call a reasonably stiffish time of it from now 
out,” Ezra interrupted. “ You don’t hear Cap’n 
Ben ravin’ an’ tearin’ ’round ’cause this poor young- 
ster’s bones have been broken by that bloomin’ pirate, 
an’ that ’s a sign he ’s keepin’ up a heap of thinkin’. 
When the skipper lets off steam you need n’t have 
any great anxiety about his doin’ anythin’ very 
rash ; it ’s when he holds his tongue an’ looks kind er 
soft-like that mischief’s brewin’. If Jerry Bates 
don’t get all that ’s cornin’ to him before this ’ere 


THE INVALID. 


149 


cruise is ended, then I ’ll agree never to put my faith 
in signs agin, no matter what turns up.” 

“ Where is Bates now ? ” Abram asked wrathfully , 
as if it was in his mind to deal out punishment 
instantly. 

“ In the after-cabin, most likely, sittin’ down there 
thinkin’ he ’s the only thing on earth,” Ezra Snow 
replied. “ He ’s a bird, he is ! How ’re you feelin’ 
now, sonny ? ” 

“ Look here, Mr. Snow, of course it stands to rea- 
son he ain’t feelin’ pretty good,” Tim said, under- 
standing that his mate did not dare to speak lest he 
should betray signs of suffering. “ There ain’t no 
feller with a broken leg, an’ caged up in the way he 
is, that would be whistlin’ very loud.” 

“ Right you are, Timmy ; but don’t you see some- 
how it seems as though it was kind er heathenish if 
we did n’t ask once in a while how he was gettin’ 
along. He’s showed hisself pretty much of a 
man, an’ don’t you forget it. I ’m allowin’ all hands 
of us ’ll turn to an’ make things pleasant for him, 
just as soon as he can wiggle ’round a little, that is, 
if the cap’n don’t put him ashore.” 

“ How could Seth go ashore.? ” Tim asked quickly 
and fearfully. 

“ Well, I ain’t meanin’ as how he could go by his- 
self ; but s’pose we run into Halifax.? Why, up starts 


150 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


Cap’n Ben an’ says, says he, ‘ Where ’s the tele- 
phone? ’ Some of them bloomin’ fardowners says, 
says he, ‘ There ’s one right ’round the corner.’ 
He ’d pay his little cold cash for the chance of talk- 
in’, an’ he says through the telephone, says he, ‘ I ’ve 
got a boy down here aboard the Hylow what ’s had 
his leg broke. Send your best ambulance with three 
or four horses hitched to it, an’ take him up to the 
horspitle.’ Then down comes a gang of ’em as has 
a little kind of bed made up on two handles, you 
know, puts him on like he was eggs, trips out over 
the rail, an’ in he goes into the cart. That ’s the 
way things will be done when Cap’n Ben starts out.” 

“ Yes, but don’t you know Seth has n’t got money 
enough to pay for an ambulance even with only one 
horse? All the cash between us is thirty cents.” 

“ S’pose you did n’t have a single penny, it ’d be 
all the same with Cap’n Ben, an’ so far as that goes, 
this ’ere crew ’d be willin’ to have the expenses come 
out of their lay, or I don’t know ’em,” Ezra cried in- 
dignantly. “ Who ’s goin’ to ask you youngsters 
how much money you ’ve got ? This ’ere schooner ’s 
the Hylow y Cap’n Ben Willard master, an’ when she 
sails into Halifax harbor them duffers are goin’ to 
stand ’round with their eyes open, givin’ us the best 
there is in the land, ’cause, unless they ’re idjuts, 
they ’ve heard all about the craft that Cap’n Ben was 


THE INVALID. 


151 


goin’ to build. I ain’t certain as they ’d charge any- 
thin’, ’cause then they ’d have a chance to crow about 
havin’ taken care of a man out of the crack vessel of 
the Portland fleet.” 

“ Could I go with Seth if he was took to the hospi- 
tal. ” One-one-four asked anxiously, and Mr. Snow 
replied regretfully: 

“ Now look here, Timmy, it don’t stand to reason 
that a youngster what ’s whole an’ sound as you are 
would be allowed to loaf ’round where they keep sick 
folks. No, you ’d have to stay here. Besides, I 
reckon Abram has got so now he could n’t run things 
without you. First time I ’ve known him when he 
had any chance to do much sogerin’. I reckon he ’s 
been countin’ on puttin’ you to the front a good 
many times, so ’s he could back hisself behind that 
’ere stove-pipe. The wonder of it is to me how 
Abram gets hisself in a position to be done clean 
through an’ through, an’ yet stays only about half- 
baked, same as you see him now.” 

“ If you ’re countin’ on a mug-up before you take 
your trick at the wheel, Ezra Snow, you ’ll keep a 
civil tongue in your head. ’T ain’t any fool’s work 
to make a pot of coffee while the schooner’s snorin’ 
along as she is now, an’ I ’ll slack up my efforts if 
you get sarcy. I ’m wonderin’ how it would do if 
I should manage to fry out a little nice piece of salt 


152 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


pork for Seth? Seems as if it would do him good to 
have some sich delicate bit on his stomach.” 

“ What do you say to it, lad ? ” Ezra asked as he 
bent over the invalid. “ Does it seem as if a slice of 
juicy pork ’d make you feel any better?” 

“ I don’t want anything to eat, sir.” 

“Oh, come, come, now! You’ve got to keep 
filled up if you ’xpect to pull out of this I How ’re 
your bones goin’ to sprout, same as Abram tells 
about, if you don’t give ’em anything to sprout on? 
There ’s two things in this world that a man, or boy 
either, for that, matter, should keep right up, an’ 
them ’s his appetite an’ his spirits. If you go ’long 
through this world tuned clean up to the top pitch 
of the fiddle, you won’t see half so much trouble, an’ 
in order to do it you ’ve got to have a full cargo 
aboard — that ’s my doctrine.” 

Seth shook his head again, but did not trust him- 
self to reply, and Tim whispered in his ear: 

“ Don’t be afraid that they ’ll be firin’ things inter 
you that you don’t want, ’cause I ’m right here to see 
that there ’s no more funny business.” 

Then, while the captain of the galley was coaxing 
the fire in order that the coffee might the more 
quickly boil, the idlers discussed what would probably 
be the punishment dealt out by Captain Ben to Jerry 
Bates, for by this time it was accepted as a fact that 


THE INVALID, 


153 


the man who had caused all the mischief would be 
forced to pay some penalty for his misdeeds. 

Abram insisted that he should be marooned on 
Sable Island, and held firm to such idea of punish- 
ment until it was suggested that Captain Ben would 
hardly spend so much time as would be necessary to 
effect a landing on that desolate strip of sand. Ezra 
was firmly convinced that it was the captain’s duty 
to lash the offender in the rigging, and give him 
such a rope’s-ending as he would never forget ; while 
each of the others had in mind more or less severe 
penalties, all brutal in the extreme., as the only 
course that could be pursued in justice to the lad 
who had been injured. 

It was not until the question of how Jerry Bates 
should be punished had been thoroughly thrashed 
out, that Ezra suddenly realized there must be some 
omen in this breaking of bones when a vessel was 
making her first cruise. 

“ I ain’t certain what the sign is, ’cause I never 
run up agin just such a thing as this before; but 
it looks a good deal to me as if Jim Sullivan had done 
us a power of harm. You take my word for it, 
Abram Doak, that we ’re goln’ to come out at the 
little end of the horn this trip! We begun wrong, 
we ’ve kept goln’ wrong, an’ here we are with this 
poor child all wrong. Don’t you ever laugh at me 


154 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


when I talk about signs agin! I told you what Jim 
said to me, an’ you turned up your nose at it ; but 
so long as I ’ve been to sea I ’ve always known that 
when certain things come certain ways, there was bad 
luck or good luck to it ’cordin’ to how matters worked 
around.” 

“ Below there, you skulkers ! Get out here an’ 
take some of the dust I ” a voice cried as the com- 
panion-hatch was shoved back. “ Settin’ down there 
livin’ on the fat of the land, when your betters are 
workin’ their fingers to the bone to keep things 
a-hummin’ ! ” 

“Ain’t that coffee got het up yet.?” Ezra asked 
anxiously as he began leisurely to get into his oil- 
skins. “ How do you reckon I ’m goin’ to stand my 
trick at the wheel in a smother like this, with nothin’ 
warmin’ inside.?” 

“ Suppose you can’t stand it, how ’m I goin’ to help 
it .? ” Mr. Doak grumbled. “ I did n’t upset this 
’ere coffee-pot, did I.? I didn’t pretty nigh scald 
the arm off of me doin’ it, did I.? An’ I ain’t been 
workin’ on the fire so ’s to minister to your delicate 
appetite, have I.? But I’m to be blamed just the 
same, if the coffee won’t boil.” 

“ Now don’t fly off, Abram. I know who upset 
the coffee, an’ I know there ’s reason for your not 
havin’ it ready, but at the same time that ain’t goin’ 


THE INVALID. 


155 


to keep the chill out of my stomach when I ’m stand- 
in’ knee-deep in salt water, tied up to the wheel like 
a bloomin’ image ! ” Mr. Snow cried, as he deftly in- 
serted his hand in the locker while standing in such 
a position that the cook could not see what he was 
doing, and extracted therefrom two fried pies which 
he secreted in the pocket of his coat. “ I ’m goin’ 
out ‘ Where the waters boil an’ roar ; But my soul 
is not afraid.’ ” 

The remainder of the men who had been idle fol- 
lowed him, after making the same preparations, save 
as to the subtraction of the pies, and a few moments 
later those who had been standing watch came be- 
low, the water dripping from the angles of their 
oil-skins, or flung about the cabin in a miniature 
rain-storm, as they made ready for a trick below. 

“ What kind of a country fair have you been hav- 
in’ down here.?” Bob asked, taking a mug from the 
swinging tray over the table and going toward the 
stove. 

“ It ’s a country fair that ’s played hob with the 
coffee,” Abram grumbled. “ You won’t get any of 
this ’ere mixture for nigh on to half an hour yet.” 

“ How does that happen ? ” Joe Barker cried an- 
grily. “ Has it got so you can’t keep the pot goin’ 
on a night like this, or are you gettin’ too feeble to 
tend to your business .? ” 


156 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


“ Now see here, Joe Barker, an’ the rest of you ! ” 
Abram cried as he wedged himself behind the stove 
to prevent any laying on of violent hands. “ I ’ve 
heard enough about this ’ere coffee, an’ it ’s the first 
time since I shipped as cook that you have n’t had all 
you could pour into you; but when a ragin’ rhino- 
ceros, like that brute of a Bates, gets to rampagin’ 
an’ knockin’ things into a cocked hat generally, it 
ain’t within the limits of reason that I should stand 
any abuse from the first blessed one of you ! ” 

“ Gettin’ a jib up are you, Abram? ” Bob Ahearn 
said with a laugh. ‘‘We heard somewhat about the 
row, an’ that the poor little stowaway got his leg 
broke ; but I did n’t know it had been so serious that 
the coffee was spilled. However, we ’ll let you off 
this time if you ’ll keep knockin’ right at that ’ere 
pot till we get a mug before turnin’ in. Now tell 
me what it was Bates did ? ” 

Abram was perfectly willing to play the part of 
story-teller, and he exerted himself to spin the affair 
out into a yarn which occupied his time until the 
bubbling inside the huge pot told that the fisher- 
man’s favorite beverage while at sea was at last ready 
for the drinking. 

“ What started him off in that way ? ” Bob asked 
when the cook was at the end of his story-telling. 

“ Just his natural, ugly, mean disposition. He ’s 


THE INVALID. 


157 


been spoilin’ for a row ever since he came aboard, an’ 
now I hope he ’ll get it full an’ good. Do you know 
where he is ? ” 

“ Just turned out, I reckon. It ’s his watch on 
deck. I saw him sneak inter the cabin after the 
rumpus.” 

“Hasn’t Cap’n Ben done anythin’ to him yet.^^ ” 

“ Look here, Abram, if you stick your nose out 
of that companion-way jest about half a minute 
you ’ll see, if you did n’t know before, that this is no 
time to tend to anything but handlin’ the Hylow. 
The breeze has freshened inter a reg’lar gale, an’ I ’m 
allowin’ we ’re goin’ to catch it warm for quite a 
spell.” 

“ When we might have been layin’ snug as bugs 
at Halifax ! ” Mr. Doak said mournfully. 

“ Oh, that ’s what ’s troublin’ your mind, eh ? 
’Cause we didn’t put into port.? Well, you know 
what the skipper said after we came aboard from 
that row, an’ I ’m allowin’ he ’ll keep his word. As 
for me, I hope he will, for it costs too much money 
to knock ’round port, tryir.’ to cut a swath with the 
Gloucestermen. I ain’t sayin’ but that we can do 
it, yet after it ’s all over I always think what a fool 
I ’ve been, firin’ in good money that I worked hard 
to earn, for a man what fishes Sable Island Bank 
don’t get his dollars by whistlin’.” 


158 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


After they had refreshed themselves with coffee 
and tobacco, the watch lately come below spent very 
little time in discussing Jerry Bates and his doing, 
for every man understood full well that at any mo- 
ment it might be a case of “ all hands on deck,” and 
such rest as could be gained immediately was all they 
would perhaps be able to enjoy during the coming 
four and twenty hours. 

Therefore it was that very shortly after Ezra Snow 
went on duty the only occupants of the cuddy who 
remained awake were the two boys and Abram Doak. 

The cook turned a deaf ear to Tim’s entreaties 
that he lie down, or get into his bunk, declaring it 
was his business to be on hand in case the invalid 
should need anything, and in order to keep his eyes 
open he set about repairing with ratlin stuff the 
stool which Jerry Bates had broken: 

“ There ’s no need for you fellows to keep awake 
on account of me,” Seth whispered to Tim. “ I 
sha’n’t want anything.” 

“ Are you achin’ very bad, old man ? ” 

“ I don’t feel real good, an’ that ’s a fact ; but it 
ain’t so bad to have your leg broken as you might 
think. I should n’t wonder if I went to sleep after 
a while. Why don’t you get into your bunk.? I 
can call you if there ’s any need.” 

“ I won’t do that, Seth, while you ’re laid out like 


THE INVALID. 


159 


this. Say, s’posen you take a cup of coifee? It 
must be good for people, else the crew of this 
schooner would n’t be drinkin’ so much. You know 
what Mr. Snow said. You ’ve got to keep your 
stomach full all the time, if you want to get through 
in shape.” 

Seth did not believe he really needed the coffee, but 
in order to please his mate he drank nearly a mug- 
ful, much to Mr. Doak’s satisfaction, who said as 
he stood by the edge of the bunk waiting for the 
mug: 

“ There ’s nothin’ like it, lad, whether you ’re sick 
or well. I ’ve come to believe, in all these years of 
knockin’ ’round the Banks, that if it was n’t for 
coffee folks ’d go mighty hungry after fish. Talk 
about drinkin’ liquor ! Some of our boys do that 
thing when they ’re ashore, an’ have got nothin’ else 
to take up their minds, but I never saw one of ’em 
that did n’t come back feelin’ sorry for it. ’Cause 
why ? ’Cause in the first place it did n’t do ’em any 
good, an’ in the second place they was in mighty 
bad shape afterwards. Now what about coffee? 
Take the men that ’s just off watch on such a night 
as this, same as Bob an’ Joe. They ’ve got their in- 
sides filled with somethin’ warm, an’ gone to bed. 
Now hear ’em sleep! Why, they’re doin’ a good 
twenty knot, an’ will keep at it till it ’s time for their 


160 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


trick on deck agin. S’pose they ’d put in that much 
liquor ? Why, they ’d be rampagin’ ’round here same 
as Jerry Bates, an’ this ’ere cuddy ’d look like it 
was ridin’ out. I ’ve got through sailin’ with them 
as drinks anythin’ but coffee, though there ’re times 
when it ’s mighty tryin’ on a cook to keep a couple 
of gallons ready night an’ day. Now if it so be, 
Seth, that you feel certain you ’re as nigh right as a 
boy with a broken leg can be, why, I ’ll give in to 
you an’ take forty winks myself.” 

The invalid assured the cook that it was needless 
to remain awake on his account, and very shortly 
afterwards it was possible to “ hear Mr. Doak sleep ” 
in the same noisy fashion as were his shipmates. 

Tim was determined he would not allow his eyes 
to close in slumber that night. By folding a couple 
of blankets over the edge of the table, and then wedg- 
ing himself on the locker between that and Seth’s 
berth, it was possible for One-one-four to hold his 
position despite the violent movements of the 
schooner; but it was much as if he had thus given 
an invitation to the drowsy god, for even while say- 
ing to himself that he would not under any cir- 
cumstances sleep he passed over the border into 
dreamland. 

It was a long, weary night to the invalid; because 
of the pain and the stimulating effects of the coffee. 


THE INVALID, 


161 


it was not possible to lose himself in the peaceful 
unconsciousness which had come upon One-one-four, 
and he was fully alive to all the wild tossing and 
careening of the Hylow as she fought her way 
through that smothering fog, over waves lashed into 
a fury by the easterly gale, across seas where lurked 
many a danger which could not be guarded against. 

There were times when it seemed to Seth as if the 
gallant little schooner was thrown down on her beam 
ends ; when he could look out over the board fastened 
to the front of his bunk, and see the sleepers on the 
opposite side directly above him, and then again 
when she rose to such an angle that he felt con- 
vinced a full half of her, from the bow aft, must be 
out of the water — as if she was completely up-ended. 

Then, when he was hoping morning might be near 
at hand, came the call for those below, and he knew 
only two hours had passed. 

It was a positive relief to see the men moving about 
as they got into their oil-skins, and to hear the sound 
of their voices, for he had been so entirely alone while 
all the others slept that to see the men descending the 
companion-way was a positive pleasure. He almost 
forgot the pain as he watched Ezra and his mates 
steady themselves against the pitch of the vessel as 
only sailors can, and heard them speak of the brave 
battle which the little craft was making, or of the 


II 


162 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


gallant manner in which she was proving herself to 
be the pride of the Portland fleet. 

“ How ’re you feelin’ by this time?” Mr. Snow 
asked as, with a mug of coffee in his hand, he came 
to the side of the sufferer’s bunk. 

Tim sprang to his feet so suddenly that he was 
thrown headlong against the companion-steps, and 
no small portion of the hot liquid fell from the 
mug which Ezra was holding, striking him full on 
the face. 

“ I guess I must have dropped off to sleep,” he 
said sheepishly, rising with difficulty to his feet. 

“ I reckon you was doin’ your full share of the 
snorin’,” Mr. Snow replied with a laugh, and then 
turning to the invalid he repeated the question, 
“ How ’re you feelin’, lad? ” 

“ Oh, I ’m a good deal better,” Seth said bravely. 
“ I guess I ’ll be all right by mornin’. Is it much 
of a storm ? ” 

“ Well, lad, that ’s ’cordin’ to what you mean by 
the word. You can’t rightly call this a storm, when 
it ’s simply blowin’ a livin’ gale, an’ the fog seems 
to be hangin’ to the wind. It does beat all how much 
fog there is on the ocean ! I wonder where it goes 
when it drifts back to the place it came from? I ’ve 
often thought of that when I ’ve been out here on 
the Banks with the smother so thick you could poke 


THE INVALID. 


163 


your finger through it an’ see the hole. There ’s a 
heap of it somewhere; but I’m allowin’ you’re a 
brick, boy. There ’s nothin’ like keepin’ your upper 
lip stiff.” 

“Where’s Jerry Bates.?” Tim asked eagerly. 
“ Why don’t he come down for coffee.? ” 

“ If he tries it he ’ll wish he had n’t. The cap’n 
gave strict orders that he was to keep out of the 
cuddy till matters could be fixed up somehow in the 
mornin’. I don’t rightly know what he ’s countin’ 
on doin’. You lads may not think it ’s much of a 
punishment to deprive a fisherman of his coffee; but 
if you was to stand out on deck a couple of hours in 
a smother of water clean to your hips now an’ then, 
with everythin’ awash fore an’ aft, an’ the wind 
drivin’ spray inter your face till it was like red-hot 
needles, you ’d come to understand what it would 
mean not to have somethin’ warm when you ’re 
through work.” 

“ Did the cap’n tell Jerry Bates he could n’t have 
anythin’ to drink.? ” 

“ No, but he said he was to keep ” 

Just then the companion-hatch was shoved open, 
and a surly voice shouted: 

“ Hi there, Abram ! Give me a mug-up ! I ’ve 
got orders not to go below for’ard, an’ I ’ll hold to 
’em for a spell, not because Ben Willard gave ’em, 


164. 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


but owin’ to my bein’ good an’ willin’ to keep away 
from sich a measly gang.” 

In silence Mr. Doak passed up the beverage, and 
stood under the companion waiting to receive the 
mug, when it had been emptied ; but it did not please 
the genial Mr. Bates to act any part of the man on 
this night, for, instead of giving the mug into 
Abram’s hand, he flung it viciously into the cuddy, 
striking the pot on the stove with such force that if 
the cook had not been exceedingly active, the second 
supply of coffee would have been wasted. 

“ If you ’d knocked it over I ’d have put your two 
eyes into one ! ” Abram cried in rage, and from the 
deck came the jeering reply: 

“ You can do a power with your tongue, you sec- 
ond-rate cook, but never saw the day when you dared 
stand up to a man.” 

“ All the same I might be able to stand up to such 
as you, an’ not make a very big try,” Mr. Doak 
retorted, and then he closed his hatch violently, 
as if it did him real good to thus give his anger 
vent. 

“ That Mr. Bates ’ll be runnin’ this ’ere schooner 
by mornin’, if somebody don’t take a reef in him,” 
Abram said after a brief pause, and Ezra replied: 

“Don’t worry your head about that. Brother 


THE INVALID. 


165 


Doak. Cap’n Ben ’ll take the kink out of his hair 
before he ’s many hours older, for he told Bob an’ 
me so not ten minutes ago, an’ mind yer, he ’ll keep 
his word ! ” 


CHAPTER X. 


MISSING. 

During the night, when the men came off and 
went on watch, there arose another question, to their 
minds more serious than that of how Mr. Bates 
should be disciplined, which they discussed at such 
times as the two boys were asleep. 

This was the sending of Seth to a hospital. No 
one doubted but that Captain Ben had treated the 
broken bones to the best of his ability ; but it was well 
within the range of possibility that he had failed to 
do the work properly, and many of the crew, particu- 
larly those who had taken a lively interest in the lad 
who stowed away rather than be deported, believed 
he should receive skilled medical attention before it 
might be too late. 

As a matter of course, all understood that nothing 
could be done on this night, but because the captain 
of the Hylow was known to be a glutton at fishing, 
it was a grave question whether he would spend the 
time to make port when he might be taking on yet 
more cargo. 

Bob Ahearn was content with what had been done, 

i66 


MISSING, 


167 


declaring that, so far as setting the bones was con- 
cerned, Captain Ben could do the work as well as if 
he had a diploma from some medical school, while 
Ezra Snow and Abram Doak were strong in their 
insistence that it was of vital importance Seth be 
treated in some hospital. 

“ It strikes me we ’d better spend a few hours 
makin’ port for the sake of settin’ him ashore, than 
waste a good many in takin’ care of him, for it stands 
to reason the lad ’ll need considerable nussin’ before 
gettin’ ’round agin.” 

“ I reckon Tim can ’tend to that part of it,” Bob 
said in reply to Mr. Doak’s remark. He ’s a pretty 
handy lad, an’ has got nothin’ else to do.” 

“That’s just it! There’s plenty he can do if 
he has the time, an’ the work of a boy helps out big 
now an’ then. I ain’t begrudgin’ anythin’ that 
Seth ’s needin’, but at the same time it seems a pity 
to switch Tim off to take care of him when he ’d be 
better ashore, an’ we could have One-one-four to help 
’round.” 

“ Meanin’ that you ’re thinkin’ more of what he ’ll 
be able to do for’ard here, so ’s you can have a better 
chance to loaf, than of his lendin’ a hand at dressin’ 
down or cleanin’ up.” 

“ I don’t look at it in that light at all,” Mr. Doak 
replied emphatically. “ The heft of my opinion was 


168 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


concernin’ Seth, an’ I still hold to it ; he ought’er be 
somewhere else than aboard the Hylow'^ 

‘‘ I reckon all that ’ll be turned about pretty much 
as pleases Cap’n Ben,” Bob replied carelessly, and 
then he went out into the night once more to do his 
share of caring for the little schooner as she battled 
against the wind and waves. 

Mr. Bates did not show himself again during the 
long watches of the night; but when word had been 
passed that breakfast was ready for the first half, 
he came into the cuddy with Captain Ben, and it was 
whispered among the second half that the master 
of the Hylow had given strict orders to the ill-tem- 
pered man that he should not show himself forward 
save with him. So carefully did the skipper guard 
against any further outbreak, that he went even to 
the length of insisting that Bates take the place at 
table which was by the captain’s side, where he 
could be checked if making any attempt to do 
mischief. 

It was not a cheerful meal, as might be supposed. 
What little conversation was indulged in Captain 
Ben himself carried on. Tim, taking good heed to 
keep out of the surly sailor’s way, stationed himself 
by the side of Seth’s bunk as if to guard against a 
possible attack, and it was plainly seen that Mr. 
Doak did violence to his own feelings when he passed 


MISSING, 


169 


either food or drink in the direction of the man who 
had done so much mischief. 

When the second half came below, however, mat- 
ters were changed entirely. The men discussed the 
handling of the schooner, scolding not a little be- 
cause she was still kept at sea, and prophesying that 
the wind would not blow itself out in less than forty- 
eight hours, therefore it seemed a useless expenditure 
of labor to keep her under sail when she might have 
lain snugly in harbor. 

During two days and nights the little schooner 
was buffeted by the waves, and tossed here and there 
by the wind, even though she was carrying a double- 
reefed mainsail with nothing more than a foresail and 
jib, until even some of the boldest of the men believed 
the time had come when she should run before it, 
or be hove to rather than hold the southerly course 
which had been set. 

With nothing to occupy their time during the 
watches below, save spin yarns and smoke, all hands 
gave a goodly portion of their attention to the in- 
valid, until the danger was that he might suffer from 
too much nursing rather than not enough. An 
hundred times within the twenty-four hours was he 
called upon to tell “ how he felt,” and if he had eaten 
all that the cook seemed to think was his duty then 
surely would he have died of indigestion. 


170 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


As a matter of course there were hot discussions 
now and then regarding what would be done to Mr. 
Bates, for all agreed that when there was an oppor- 
tunity Captain Ben would deal out something more 
in the way of punishment than that of keeping the 
surly fellow under his eye all the while. 

At the first indication that the strength of the gale 
was broken, the Hylow was put about on such a 
course as would bring her back to Sable Island Bank, 
and at noon of the third day, when Captain Ben came 
into the cuddy to dinner and bent over the invalid as 
was his custom, to learn how he was getting along, 
he announced, as if believing the information would 
be cheering: 

“ Within another twenty-four hours, lad, we ’ll 
get to work agin, an’ I ’m reckonin’ we ’ll pull down 
some part of this ’ere cage that ’s been built up, so ’s 
you ’ll have a chance to see what ’s goin’ on.” 

‘‘ Then he ain’t to be took to the horspitle ? ” Abram 
asked mildly, and Captain Ben wheeled upon him 
suddenly : 

‘‘ Have some of you old women got the idee inter 
your heads that there ’s nothin’ for it but put him 
ashore.? Are you countin’ we’re sich dummies that 
we can’t look after one small lad like him, who ’s 
gettin’ on fine as silk? ” 

‘‘ I don’t say anythin’ agin it, Cap’n, but only 


MISSING. 171 

asked if he was goin’, ’cause it seems to me that ’s 
where he belongs.” 

“Why?” 

“ Well, I can’t rightly say, ’cept that ’s where 
folks are taken when they ’re broken up the way 
he is.” 

“ Afraid you ’ll have too much work to do, eh, with 
passin’ grub into him when he ’s close under your 
hand ? ” Captain Ben asked sharply, after which he 
relapsed into silence. 

This was sufficient to prove to the crew of the 
Hylow that the skipper intended to hold to the 
promise he had made about not making port during 
the cruise, and when he left the cuddy they discussed 
the matter sharply, not because of their great desire 
to send Seth ashore, but owing to the fact that while 
remaining at work it would be impossible to punish 
Bates by discharging him, which was the sentence 
the men had unanimously agreed upon. 

During this time, while the wind shrieked and 
moaned about the Hylow as if literally raging 
against her, and was mourning because of being un- 
able to vanquish her. One-one-four had not spent his 
time in idleness. As a matter of course he waited 
upon his mate assiduously; but this occupied only a 
small portion of the day. When not engaged in 
playing the part of nurse he was careful, yes, eager. 


172 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


to do whatever lay at his hand, for he now had in 
mind the thought that he must do double duty in 
order to pay for the food which he and Seth ate. 

That he succeeded in pleasing the captain of the 
galley was shown on this third afternoon, when it 
seemed certain that the work of fishing would be 
taken up once more on the following day, for then 
Mr. Doak said to him: 

“ I don’t understand how it is I got along without 
you all these years. One-one-four. You do save me a 
heap of work, an’ there ’s no gainsayin’ it. I ’m as 
anxious as any other man to see a full cargo aboard 
the HyloWy but really I ’m kind’er sorry to lose 
you.” 

“ How ’re you goin’ to lose me ^ ” Tim asked in 
surprise. 

“ If you ain’t called on deck for an odd job here 
an’ a bit of cleanin’ up there, the minute the first fish 
is taken, I ’m out of my reckonin’, an’ as soon as you 
show yourself handy on deck, same ’s you have in the 
cuddy, there ’U be little show of my keepin’ you 
here.” 

“ I want to do all I can, Mr. Doak, an’ it seems as 
if I might work in both places. You know I ’m 
countin’ on bein’ a fisherman some day, an’ the 
harder they push me along the quicker I ’ll get to 
know the business.” 


MISSING. 


17S 


“ Don’t be afraid but that they ’ll push you ’long 
all right, when once it ’s seen that you can lend a 
hand, an’ for a matter of that kind I ’m called on 
time an’ time agin, but you ’ll find we ain’t quite 
heathens aboard the HyloWy an’ don’t count on makin’ 
a boy like you buckle down to it all the time. You ’ve 
got to have some breathin’ spells.” 

‘‘ Don’t you fear but that I ’ll get enough of ’em,” 
Tim said laughingly. “ If Seth’s leg was n’t broken, 
perhaps he an’ I could get a chance to go out by our- 
selves in one of the dories hand-linin’.” 

“ I ’m the one who ’ll prevent you from learning 
the trade of a fisherman,” Seth said mournfully, and 
Tim cried sharply as he ran to the side of the bunk 
that he might take his mate by the hand : 

‘‘ I don’t want to hear such talk as that, at all. If 
it had n’t been for you I would n’t be here, so breakin’ 
your leg don’t interfere with my gettin’ to be a 
fisherman, not a little bit.” 

“ If we can find Uncle Joshua when the schooner 
gets back, I know he ’ll pay Captain Willard for let- 
tin’ me stay aboard.” 

‘‘ Pay your granny ! ” Mr. Doak exclaimed irri- 
tably. “ Cap’n Ben ain’t the kind of a man that ’ll 
take money for what little you ’ll eat, pertic’larly 
after you ’ve been crippled by one of the crew.” 

This was by no means the only conversation held 


174 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


between the cook and the boys relative to their posi- 
tion on board. Seth returned to the subject at every 
opportunity, for while lying in the bunk helpless he 
had ample time in which to consider the matter, and 
it seemed to him as if he was a drag upon all hands. 

It was reported by the crew, as they came into the 
cabin from time to time, that Jerry Bates was hold- 
ing himself aloof from every one as if he was the in- 
jured person. Never once had he accosted in a 
friendly way either of his mates, and when it came his 
trick at the wheel with Ezra Snow, the latter declared 
that he never so much as winked during the entire 
time of duty. 

“ As cross-grained, surly, ill-tempered a man as I 
ever knew,” Mr. Snow said as he summe'd up Mr. 
Bates’s character. “ I ’ve seen some disagreeable 
shipmates in my time, but never one who could hold a 
candle to that same Bates. I ’d take the meanest, 
mangiest yeller dog that ever lived to my bosom an’ 
have more real love for him than for that same lump 
of ill-nature! If Cap’n Ben Willard thinks that by 
makin’ Bates toddle ’round after him like a poodle 
he ’s goin’ to pay up for what he did to Seth, me an’ 
the cook, why, then I ’ll say there ’ll be trouble aboard 
the Hylow. Everybody knows that if there ’s much 
of any quarrellin’ on a vessel durin’ the first trip, it ’s 
a sign she ’ll be unlucky as long as she floats.” 


MISSING. 


175 


If one were to set down all the disagreeable things 
said by the crew about Mr. Bates, and the many com- 
plaints which were made because he was seemingly 
to remain on board throughout the cruise, there would 
be nothing in this story save that, and surely a very 
uninteresting tale it would be. 

It was in the morning on the day after the wind 
had fined down into the laziest of gentle breezes that 
the good schooner Hylow came to anchor off Sable 
Island in much the same berth she had previously oc- 
cupied, but now she was by no means the only vessel 
to be seen off that desolate stretch of sand. 

One-one-four heard the cable let go, and, running 
on deck, he saw not less than twenty fishermen within 
range of vision, two of them being no more than half 
a mile away. 

“ I thought Cap’n Ben was the only skipper that 
fished down this way ! ” he cried in surprise as he 
leaned over the companion-hatch. 

“ You must have allowed we had a mighty soft snap 
of it, lad,” the cook replied laughingly. ‘‘ Why, 
I ’ve seen a crowd of St. Pierre, Newfoundland, an’ 
New Brunswick craft — as many as fifty, — an’ every 
blessed one of ’em takin’ from ten to fifteen thousand 
a day.” 

“ Well, this looks somethin’ like business,” Tim 
cried in delight. “ You ought to be up here, Seth, 


176 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


where you could see it. There ’s more dories out 
than a fellow could count. I should think where 
there ’s so many vessels the men would have an awful 
good time.” 

“ In what way do you mean, lad ? ” Mr. Doak 
asked. 

“ Goin’ ’round visiting’, an’ swappin’ stories, an’ 
all that kind of thing.” 

“ Well, that ain’t exactly what we come down here 
for, lad. When a craft gets aboard, say, ten thou- 
sand cod an’ haddock, an’ all of ’em to be dressed 
down ’twixt sunset an’ sunrise, you can make up your 
mind there ain’t overly much time spent in visitin’. 
Now that the wind ’s blown itself out, an’ we ’re likely 
to have a long spell of good weather, I ’m allowin’ 
you ’ll see all hands humpin’ till they ’re so nearly 
done up as not to know their own names. Why, lad, 
it ’s the honest truth that I ’ve known a man stand 
right up to the bench with his knife in his hand 
openin’ fish while his eyes were shut, an’ he sound 
asleep, bein’ dead tired.” 

It was evident to Tim that the crew of the Hylow 
did not intend to spend very much time hunting up 
their neighbors, for the schooner was hardly more 
than come to an anchor before one dory after an- 
other was hoisted out-board, trawl-tubs brought 
from the hold, and crew after crew got away until 


MISSING. 


177 


none save Abram and the two boys remained on 
board. 

“ Well, that ’s what I call jumpin’ to it! ” One-one- 
four said with a long-drawn breath of surprise. 
“ It ain’t more ’n five minutes since I came up here, 
an’ all hands are off ready to set trawls.” 

“ Who did Bates go with? ” Mr. Doak asked, as 
for the first time he came up the companion-way suf- 
ficiently far to have a look around. 

“ He an’ Cap’n Ben are in that dory over there.” 

Well, now, it strikes me Ben Willard is punishin’ 
hisself a good bit just for the sake of keepin’ that 
cross-grained mongrel with us ! There ’s no man 
alive who ’s more pertic’lar about his dory-mate than 
our skipper, an’ yet he ’s sacrificin’ his feelin’s 
rather than put ashore the sourest bunch of ill-tem- 
per that ever turned fisherman.” 

To Tim the scene was one of wondrous beauty, as 
indeed it would have been to any person who saw it 
for the first time. The sea was running with a long, 
regular surge, never a wave bearing a crest, and the 
wind hardly more than a summer zephyr. Perhaps 
it was as fair a day as those keepers of the light on 
Sable Island had ever seen. The Hylow lay in the 
midst of a floating city. The sunlight glinted and 
whitened the sails of the vessels until they shone like 
silver, and the white sides of the schooners and dories 


13 


178 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


flashed in the sun like fire as the craft rose and fell 
on the sweeping swell. The wonder of it was that 
there could be so many fish in the sea as to supply 
all these men who were engaged in taking them ! 

Some such thought must have come into Tim’s 
mind, for he said to the cook as he gazed slowly around 
trying to form some estimate of the number there: 

“ I ’m allowin’ there ’s a good many here who 
won’t have much dressin’ down to do to-night.” 

« Why, lad.?” 

“ ’Cause how can all of ’em get fish enough to 
work on ? ” 

“ I ’m willin’ to bet good doughnuts against dol- 
lars, that the laziest crew in this ’ere fleet will have 
no less than five thousand pounds of different kinds 
aboard before sunset. Fish ! Well, lad, I ’m allow- 
in’ that the top of this ’ere bank ’s just covered with 
’em! Now you stop to think of it. An hundred 
years, an’ nobody knows how much longer, fishin’ ves- 
sels from all parts of the country have been cornin’ 
here, an’ takin’ away full cargoes one season after 
another, yet they get as many to-day as they did the 
first cruise I made. Of course there are off seasons, 
when the cod don’t seem to be plentiful, an’ you ’ll 
say to yourself that you ’ve caught ’em all up ; but as 
likely as not in two weeks from that time fishermen ’ll 
be takin’ ’em faster ’n they can dress ’em down. I ’d 


MISSING. 


179 


like to know how many million pounds has been 
caught right off here, an’ yet this ’s only a little part 
of the fishin’ grounds. There ’s the Georges, Sambo, 
St. Pierre, ’Quereau, an’ a hundred other banks, all 
of ’em what you might call lousy with fish. You can 
strike a skipper who ’ll say the only place he can 
count dead certain on gettin’ a full fare is ’Quereau. 
The next man you talk with, say it might be Cap’n 
Ben, he ’d allow that Sable Island Bank was the only 
place for him, an’ so it goes. You see one cap’n 
knows one spot better ’n all the rest, another has his 
pertic’lar ground, an’ so it goes. I won’t undertake 
to tell you how many vessels there are, Frenchmen, 
Bluenoses, Far-downers, an’ Yankees, that make a 
business of fishin’ off here. Bless yer soul, there must 
be a heap of ’em, an’ the next biggest puzzle is, who 
eats all that ’s caught ? ” 

Having thus expressed himself on the immensity of 
the fishing business, Mr. Doak went below to attend 
to the duties for which he had shipped, knowing full 
well that when the crew returned a large quantity of 
food would be necessary in order to satisfy their 
hunger; but District Messenger One-one-four, eager 
though he was to perform all the labors within his 
power as a means of “ squarin’ accounts ” for his 
mate and himself, could not take his eyes from the 
.scene, He stood near the companion where it would 


180 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


be possible to tell the invalid of this thing or that 
which particularly attracted his attention, drawing 
in deep breaths of pleasure as he viewed what was 
really an ideal picture. 

Later in the day, when Tim had taken up his du- 
ties in the cuddy. Bob Ahearn came alongside, his 
dory loaded gunwale-deep, a few moments after Ezra 
Snow had arrived, and cried cheerily: 

“ Any new signs to-day to prove that the Hylow 
is bound to strike bad luck, Ezra? ” 

“ Well, I have n’t been lookin’ spec’ally for ’em, 
but I did happen to run across two of the skates we 
had to leave the other night, an’ it seems as though 
that ought’er be a pretty good sign. They ’re the 
first trawls I ever picked up after they ’d been left, 
an’ both was so heavy with fish that there was n’t wind 
enough to set ’em in on to the bar.” 

“ Picked up two trawls, eh? Well, say, that ’s 
kind’er curious, ain’t it? ” 

“ It looks that way to me,” Ezra said meditatively, 
as he mechanically stroked the head of a huge cod- 
fish which had made up a portion of his load. 
“ Seems to me I ’ve heard it said that if you come 
across anythin’ that ’s been lost in the sea, it ’s a sign 
you ’re goin’ to meet a friend, or part with a friend, I 
declare I don’t know which. There ’s somethin’ about 
it, an’ I ’m puzzlin’ my head to make out what it is.” 


MISSING, 


181 


I ’m puzzlin’ my head to know how much grub 
Abram ’s got ready for us,” Bob replied with a 
laugh, as he and Joe Barker hurriedly flung their 
catch into the forward pen. 

“ Plenty an’ to spare,” came from the cuddy. 
“ I ’m noticin’ that whenever you lubbers get a move 
on, the first thing you think about is whether the cook 
has looked out for you, but let all hands be lay in’ 
’round here in the cuddy with nothin’ to do, an’ you ’ll 
chew over the uselessness of a man what keeps you 
from starvin’.” 

“ Pitch on the table all you ’ve got ; I can take care 
of it,” Bob cried. 

It was a trying day. Dory after dory came along- 
side laden with the harvest of the sea, and each crew 
paid a visit to the galley immediately after sending 
their catch aboard, until it seemed to Tim and Seth 
as if Mr. Doak could not put the food upon the table 
as fast as the hungry fishermen were able to clear it 
away. 

Night came. One could not move fore or aft on 
the deck without literally wading through an ocean 
of fish, and Abram had ready that meal which, if the 
previous ones were not counted, should have served 
as supper. 

‘‘ We ’ll fill up, lads, before beginnin’ to dress 
down,” Captain Ben cried in the tone of one who is 


182 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


thoroughly well satisfied with himself, and tl^ men 
tumbled below, each with some jest upon his lips, save 
in the case of Mr. Bates, who alone of all the party 
was silent and sullen. 

As soon as might be after the hunger of the men 
had been appeased for the time being, the work of 
caring for the catch was begun, and not only Tim, 
but Mr. Doak himself took a hand in the work, which 
was carried on until the last cod or haddock had been 
salted down. 

Seth remained alone in the cuddy, as a matter of 
course. After a time he slept, for the swish of the 
water as it passed the side of the schooner served him 
for a lullaby. Then, when it seemed to him as if he 
had spent a long time in slumber, he was aroused by 
the movements of some one near at hand — some one 
who took from the locker where Mr. Doak kept the 
cooked provisions a large supply of food, which he 
put into a bag. 

Seth was not very wide awake; there was in his 
mind a dim idea that food was to be served to the men 
while they worked, and then his eyes closed again. 
The next time he returned to consciousness the cuddy 
was filled with the gray light of a new day, and half 
a dozen of the crew were sampling the contents of 
Abram’s cofPee-pot. 

“ I tell you we had a great time, but it was mighty 


MISSING, 


183 


hard work ! ” Tim said as he leaned over the board 
which had been added to the side of the bunk. “ I 
just wish you could have seen us! All hands jump- 
in’ to it, with fish flyin’ in the air, an’ gurry every- 
where. Four or five torches stuck ’round so ’s we 
could see, an’ I did a little of everythin’. Do you 
know, Cap’n Ben said I lent a hand right lively. 
Oh my, but I ’m tired though ! ” 

“ Hello, in the cuddy,” some one shouted from the 
deck. “Is Jerry Bates down there?” 

“You can bet your boots he ain’t!” Ezra Snow 
replied. “ He may not have a great deal of sense, but 
he ’s got enough to keep out of this place, ’cept when 
the skipper ’s in tow to save him from bein’ hurt.” 
Then the same voice could be heard crying: 

“ Ahoy, in the cabin, is Jerry Bates there? ” 
“Now what id jut is wantin’ Jerry Bates?” Mr. 
Doak asked fretfully. “ If he ’s off sogerin’ 
somewhere I ’d vote to let him stay, for the only 
good he can do aboard this craft is to keep out of 
sight.” 

“ All hands turn out ! Every last one of you ! ” 
came again from the deck, and wonderingly, those 
who were below obeyed the command quickly, 
for a sailor early gets into the habit of answering 
a summons first and thinking about it after- 
ward. 


184 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


One-one-four considered that the call for all hands 
included himself, and again Seth was left alone. 
This time, however, for no more than five minutes, 
when Tim came below with an exclamation of sur- 
prise and perhaps relief: 

“Now what do you think has happened, Seth.?^ 
Jerry Bates has sneaked off! Must have done it 
while everybody was so busy workin’ last night. One 
of the dories is gone, an’ nobody knows what else he 
has taken with him.” 

In an instant Seth remembered having seen the 
man at the provision locker, and now he believed he 
knew who it was; but before he could tell the story 
those who had been summoned from the cuddy re- 
turned, and with them a goodly portion of the men 
who bunked aft, all talking excitedly regarding the 
disappearance of the one who had shown himself to 
be a brute. 

“ It ’s a pity he did n’t have sense enough to go 
over the rail without takin’ a dory,” Mr. Doak said 
decidedly. “ That makes two we ’ve lost so far on 
this trip.” 

“An’ when you get to losin’ boats at the start 
it ’s a sign you ’ll throw over some of your catch 
before gettin’ into port,” Ezra said in a sepulchral 
tone. 

“ Oh, stow your signs I ” Bob Ahearn cried laugh- 


MISSING. 


185 


ingly. ‘‘ If we ’ve got rid of that kill- joy it ’s well 
worth the price of the dory, an’ I ’m willin’ to pay 
my share for the sake of havin’ him out of the 
schooner. Now what beats me is, how he got away 
without our seein’ him.? He must have had this in 
his noddle ever since we weighed anchor, an’ was only 
waitin’ for fair weather to give us the slip. Well, all 
I can say is I wish them as takes him aboard will keep 
him, for of course he ’s countin’ on findin’ a berth 
with some of the fishermen near about. It ’s a good 
riddance for us, an’ what Ezra would call a mighty 
bad sign for them ; but what I ’m thinkin’ is, how will 
Cap’n Ben take it.? This havin’ a man give him the 
slip, an’ steal a boat at the same time, is likely to go 
again’ his grain.” 

“ I reckon he ’ll feel a good deal as you do about 
it. Bob,” Joe Barker said as he emptied a cup of 
coffee down his throat. “ Willin’ to stand the loss 
of the dory for the sake of gettin’ rid of that kind of 
lumber. How about it. One-one-four, cryin’ ’cause 
sour-chops has turned us down ? ” 

“ I ’m glad he ’s gone,” Tim said, sleepily, as he 
crawled on the locker in front of Seth’s bunk ; “ but 
I ’m afraid Cap’n Ben ’ll think if it had n’t been for 
my cornin’ there would n’t have been any trouble, an’ 
will kind’er lay it off on to me.” 

‘‘ Don’t you worry. One-one-four. We ’re a clean 


186 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


ship an’ a jolly crew, an’ I ’ll get up somethin’ in the 
way of a Thanksgivin’ dinner to-morrow to celebrate 
his goin’,” Mr. Doak cried. 


CHAPTER XI. 


MISCHIEF. 

Tim had supposed, if indeed he gave any heed to 
the matter, sleepy as he was, that, after such severe 
labor in the way of fishing and then dressing down, 
the crew of the Hylow would be allowed a certain 
time of repose; but in this he was mistaken. 

As soon as breakfast had been eaten the dories were 
out again running the trawls, or setting others, the 
men jumping to their tasks as if having come fresh 
from a long time of idleness. 

“ It ’s a lucky thing we brought three spare 
dories,” Mr. Doak said as he and One-one-four 
watched the last of the crews pull away from the 
schooner. “ As a general rule a couple is considered 
enough, for them as are counted fishermen, to be lost 
in one cruise, though I ’ve known a set of lubbers 
lose pretty nigh all of their boats by carelessness an’ 
bunglin’. Cap’n Ben don’t ever have more ’n two 
spare ones, an’ now that we ’re right down to hard- 
pan, the next boat that goes will make way for 
idleness.” 

“Don’t the men ever stop to sleep Tim asked, 
187 


188 


ABOARD THE HYLOW^ 


and even as he spoke it was with difficulty he could 
keep his eyes open, interested though he was in the 
scene before him. 

“ Well, there ain’t much of that kind of business 
done when the fishin’ ’s on, ’cause you see it ’s a pretty 
poor kind of a sailor who can’t bottle up enough 
when we ’re in port or runnin’ on ’count of heavy 
weather. It ’s slap bang through it all when you ’re 
on the Banks, lad. I can’t help thinkin’ how com- 
fortably off we are now that we ’ve seen the last of 
Jerry Bates, for of course he ’ll never dare show his 
face anywhere near the Hylow agin.” 

“Where do you suppose he went.^ ” 

“ On board some of these fishermen, with a hard- 
luck story as long as your arm. Most likely he ’ll 
make out that Cap’n Ben served him bad all through, 
or some such twaddle. He ’ll find enough to believe 
him among them as are jealous of our skipper; but 
they ’ll be sorry for their belief before Bates ’s been 
with ’em very long.” 

Then Mr. Doak turned his attention to the work 
before him; Tim set about cleaning the deck more 
thoroughly than it had been done, scraping the 
planks and timbers to free them from blood and 
gurry, until he had driven the desire for slumber 
from his eyes, when he went below to cheer Seth, know- 
ing full well that the lad needed a comforting word. 


MISCHIEF, 


189 


It must have been dull work for the little fellow, 
lying in the bunk, unable to change the position of 
his body ever so slightly, thinking, thinking, think- 
ing all the while the others were at work. The time 
had passed when the invalid could make merry over 
the fact of having escaped from the officers of the 
Levonia, and by this time he had before him con- 
stantly the knowledge of his mother’s suffering, and 
the fear lest his Uncle Joshua might not find him 
when the Hylow made Portland again. 

This last possibility troubled him not a little. It 
was reasonable to suppose his uncle would take pas- 
sage from Liverpool on the next steamer following 
the Levonia, and, therefore, should arrive in Portland 
within a few days after he had left. Not finding his 
nephew, it was reasonable to believe he would go to 
his home, wherever that might be, and when Seth 
returned how would it be possible for the two to come 
together .? 

Much the same thoughts and fears were in Tim’s 
mind, although he refrained from giving them words 
because of causing his mate pain, and again and 
again he said to himself that Seth should find a 
home with him unless — unless — , and then would 
come to One-one-four the memory of his mother, who 
might not understand that he had been carried off by 
the Hylow instead of having run away, and his fancy 


190 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


would go forward into the future, wondering whether 
she and his father could put confidence in him again. 

It was possible, however, for One-one-four to find 
refuge from his painful thoughts in work, but poor 
Seth was forced to lie there idle, unable to see any- 
thing save within the narrow bounds of the cuddy, 
and Tim realized that his mate might be having an 
exceedingly dismal time of it. 

“ Fishing is the nicest business in the world,” One- 
one-four said confidently to Mr. Doak while the two 
were alone, “ ’cept when a fellow gets into it the 
same way I did. Now if mother knew I was here an’ 
had been willin’ for me to come, an’ Seth had n’t 
broken his leg, an’ knew just where he could find his 
uncle when he gets back, I ’d be havin’ the time of my 
life. Say, do you think I ’ll turn out to be anythin’ 
of a fisherman ? ” 

“ Of course you will, lad. You come mighty near 
fillin’ the bill now. If you knew a little more about 
the business, an’ had a little more experience as a 
sailor, an’ was a bit bigger an’ a good deal stronger, 
an’ could handle a boat — why, bless your soul, you ’re 
just about the same as a fisherman now, ’cept for 
them little things.” 

“ Well, I ’m try in’ awful hard, Mr. Doak, an’ I ’m 
hopin’ Cap’n Ben won’t be sorry he did n’t turn the 
vessel ’round to put us ashore. Last night I worked 


MISCHIEF, 


191 


the best I knew how, but it don’t seem as if I did 
much.” 

“ I ’m allowin’ you helped out a good bit, lad, an’ 
seein’ ’s how I was there through it all, I ought’er be 
considerable of a judge. Now take my advice: Go 
below an’ have a snooze, for ’cordin’ to the look of 
things you won’t get another chance ’twixt now an’ 
to-morrow mornin’.” 

One-one-four was perfectly willing to follow this 
advice, and after telling Seth of what he had seen 
on deck, coupling the information with the prophecy 
that in a very few days it would be possible for him 
to be carried into the open air, he crept into the bunk 
nearly opposite where his friend lay. He slept as 
only a tired boy can until awakened by heavy foot- 
steps on the deck above him, and when he leaped 
out from the narrow bunk, running up the com- 
panion-way eager to be of some assistance, he found 
half a dozen exceedingly angry men, among whom 
were Bob Ahearn, Joe Barker, and Ezra Snow. Not 
until after many minutes could he understand what 
had caused the excitement, for no one paid 
any attention to his questioning, so irritated were 
all. 

Then it was he understood that several of the 
trawls belonging to the Hylow had been set adrift, 
the buoys having been cut from them, and, as was 


192 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


only natural, every one felt positive Jerry Bates had 
worked the mischief. 

“ I ’ll find that sneak if I have to board every craft 
on Sable Island Bank ! ” Bob Ahearn cried in a rage. 
“ An’ once I ’ve found him there ’ll be no danger of 
his playin’ mischief with any more trawls ! ” 

“ I misdoubt whether Cap’n Ben will give you a 
chance to go ’round visitin’,” Ezra Snow drawled. 

It seems to me like as if he took that ’ere Bates 
right into his bosom, else why did n’t he put him 
ashore somewhere long before this.?* We could have 
run into Halifax in no time.” 

It was useless for the men to scold among them- 
selves ; the mischief had been done, and their duty was 
to repair it as far as might be possible. Therefore, 
instead of reaping a harvest as would have been pos- 
sible but for the destruction of their property, they 
were forced to spend considerable time in making new 
trawls, all of which involved no slight amount of 
labor. 

In this work Tim could assist very materially, and 
was busy waiting upon one crew or another as they 
were sitting about the deck with the long length of 
line between them, when Captain Ben, having Reuben 
Hardy for a dory-mate, pulled alongside with a full 
load of fish. 

“ What ’s the meanin’ of all this sogerin’ ? ” he 


MISCHIEF, 


193 


asked angrily, coming in-board and leaving to his 
mate the labor of transshipping the cargo. “ Have 
you gone out of business for the season ? ” 

“ We will be out of it mighty soon, if somebody 
don’t get a move on,” Bob replied irritably, and then 
he told of the mischief which had been done, saying 
in conclusion, “ I don’t know of but one man who 
would be sneak enough to do such a thing, an’ that ’s 
him as has got away with the dory ! ” 

If the angry fishermen had expected to see Captain 
Ben fly into a rage, they were mistaken. He listened 
in silence to all they had to say, insisted on seeing the 
buoys which had been picked up, in order that he 
might have proof the men were not mistaken, and 
when it was no longer possible to doubt but that 
the trawls had been destroyed intentionally, said 
cheerily : 

“ It ’s no use cryin’ over spilt milk, lads. The 
mischief ’s done, an’ must be repaired. Get the new 
trawls out as soon as you can, an’ in the meantime, 
I ’ll ’tend to this matter myself. Abram,” he cried, 
turning toward the cook, who was standing in the 
companion-way, an interested spectator, “ get a bite 
on the table for me, an’ bear a hand at swabbin’ out 
that boat when Reuben’s sent the fish aboard. One- 
one-four, if you are minded to see what a fishin’ craft 
is like, stow away as much grub as you ’ll need for 


194 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


the balance of the day, an’ stand by till we get ready 
to leave.” 

“ What ’s he goin’ to do ? ” Tim whispered to Bob 
Ahearn. 

“ Looks mightily as if he counted on huntin’ out 
Mr. Jeremiah Bates, an’ if he finds him, as I ’m allow- 
in’ he will, there ’ll be considerable business done. 
He ’s givin’ you a chance to see the show, an’ I ’d 
rather have a seat in that ’ere dory than a ticket to 
the best circus that was ever put up, for there ’s 
likely to be a lively time in this ’ere fleet. Cap’n Ben 
ain’t no angel, even if he does keep his tongue be- 
tween his teeth when another man would wag it too 
lively. 

As a matter of course Master Jones thought it 
necessary first to tell his invalid friend of what had 
occurred, and why he was to be absent for a time. 
Not until this was done did he pay any attention to 
the tempting meal which Mr. Doak set before him. 

Indeed, he would have lingered so long by the side 
of the bunk as to have lost the opportunity of going 
with the captain, had not Abram literally forced him 
to the table as he said in a whisper: 

“ Stow this stuff inter you lively, lad, for you 
must n’t lose the chance to see what is goin’ on. 
I ’m countin’ you ’ll be the only one who can give us 
a clear idee of the business, seein’ ’s how Reuben is 


MISCHIEF. 


195 


one of the slowest, poorest talkers I ever ran up 
against. As for Cap’n Ben, he ’ll be as mum as an 
oyster, no matter what kind of a racket he starts.” 

“ You won’t get into a fight with Mr. Bates, will 
you, Timmy.? ” Seth called in a low tone as One-one- 
four was hurrying up the companion-way, and the 
latter halted sufficiently long to say: 

“ I ain’t any such fool, Seth, as to forget what 
class I ’m trottin’ in. The time may come when I 
can tackle a duffer like that Bates, but it won’t be for 
quite a spell yet. Take care of yourself. Don’t 
get down at the heel, old man, an’ when I get back 
you shall know how all the other vessels look.” 

Reuben Hardy was already in the dory, which lay 
astern. He had swabbed her out in honor of the oc- 
casion until she was free from all the disagreeable 
vestiges of her calling, and, while he was not by nature 
an excitable man, it could readily be seen that he was 
far from being calm, for this going in search of a 
mischief-maker with a man who was likely to exact 
reprisals to the uttermost was considerably out of 
the ordinary in a fisherman’s life. 

Every member of the crew, save Mr. Doak, was on 
deck to witness the departure when Captain Ben 
came out of the cabin, and as Reuben pulled the dory 
up on her painter that those who were to take pas- 
gage might drop from the stern of the Hylo'W 


196 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


fortably, there was a certain uneasy movement 
among the men as if more than one was tempted to 
beg permission to accompany the skipper. 

“ I ’d give a full half of all that ’s cornin’ to me 
when we strike Portland agin, if I could have Reu- 
ben’s place in that ’ere dory,” Tim heard Bob Ahearn 
say longingly, “ an’ I believe I ’d give the balance if 
Cap’n Ben ’d come aboard an’ let me run the thing my 
way.” 

Then Reuben buckled dowm to the oars. Captain 
Ben seated himself leisurely and comfortably in the 
stern-sheets as if he had nothing in mind save a few 
hours of idle pleasure, and District Messenger One- 
one-four doubled himself up in the bow in a final 
effort to find a reasonably easy seat on the sharp 
flukes of the small anchor. 

“We ’ll take them as lays to the west’ard first,” 
Captain Ben said to the oarsman, “ an’ it stands us in 
hand to keep a sharp eye out for the trawlers, ’cause 
the chances are Bates will be at work by this time.” 

The dory was forced by the vigorous strokes of 
Reuben Hardy to climb this hill of water and descend 
that valley, always up and down, now walled in by 
the green seas, and again rising until one looked 
from a height upon the sea, until she rounded to 
under the stern of the nearest fisherman — a 
Gloucesterman. 



CAPTAIN BEN IN SEARCH OF THE MISSING DORY 




* I 



I 


V 


a 


•r 




d. 


* «■. 



. •« 


I 


V. 


• • 


1 


MISCHIEF, 


197 


“ Hello, Cap’n Ben ! Gone into yachtin’, have yer ? 
You look nice an’ trig for a man as weathers ’round 
Sable Island Bank as much as you do. 

“ How are you, Cap’n Silas ! Say, I ’m lookin’ for 
a man by the name of Bates. Gave me the slip last 
night. Took one of my dories. Seen any stray 
fishermen ’round here ? ” 

“ Give you the slip, eh.^^ What ’re you shippin’? 
Anythin’ that comes along.? ” 

“ I knew him to be a fisherman all right, but 
was n’t so well up as to his ways. He got into a bit 
of temper, an’ made up his mind to leave. I ain’t 
allowin’ he counted on stealin’ the dory, ’cept that he 
had to have her in order to get away.” 

“ Well, I ain’t seen nor heard of him. Come 
aboard, won’t yer ? ” 

“ Can’t stop. I ain’t in the habit of wastin’ time 
like this ; but it seems as though I ought’er consid- 
erin’ that Bates was n’t satisfied with takin’ a dory, 
but must needs go to cuttin’ the trawls.” 

“He did that, eh.? The second-rate scoundrel! 
Shoot him if you run across him, an’ I ’ll do the same. 
A man that ’ll cut trawls ain’t skursely fit to live I ” 

By this time the dory was dancing along out of 
hailing distance, heading for the next vessel in her 
course, and when she had come up under the stern a 
similar conversation was carried on. 


198 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


Thus the work was continued from one schooner 
to another; about the same questions asked, very 
nearly the same replies given, and similar criticisms 
upon a fisherman who would cut trawls to work his 
spite on a crew with whom he had shipped; but no 
one knew anything whatsoever regarding Jerry Bates. 

« We ’ve taken the long end first, it seems to me, 
an’ now we ’ll go to the east’ard. Let me spell you 
with the oars, Reuben,” and Captain Ben made as if 
he would change seats, but settled back again as 
Hardy said: 

“ I ’ll stay where I am, if it ’s all the same to you. 
When we ’re ’round here among these Gloucester- 
men that think they ’re such dandies in the fishin’ 
business, I kind er like to have my skipper in the 
stern-sheets instead of breakin’ his back over the 
oars. It looks better, don’t you think?” 

“ I reckon we don’t have to give odds to Glouces- 
termen, leastwise we never have, Reuben, an’ I ’ve 
seen the time when if we from Portland wanted to set 
ourselves up as the only things on earth, we had more 
to do it with than some of them as puts out from 
Gloucester. Perhaps we won’t carry sail till we 
jump the spars out of our vessels, but I ’m allowin’ 
that when it comes to figurin’ up the profits of a 
cruise we can show two dollars for their one, ’cordin’ 
to the number of men.” 


MISCHIEF, 


199 


Tim never before heard Captain Ben speak as if 
he made any distinction between Gloucester fishermen 
and his own mates, but now he understood that way 
down in the skipper’s heart was a pride for the fleet 
sailing from his own port. 

“ Well, Tim, I reckon by this you ’ve seen what the 
fellows from Eastern Point call their crack schoon- 
ers,” the captain said after a long time of silence, 
during which Reuben Hardy rowed doggedly but 
vigorously. ‘‘ They make the Hylow look a good 
deal like a tub, when you come to see the two 
together.” 

“ Indeed they don’t ! ” Tim cried emphatically. 
“ I ’ve not seen as pretty a vessel as the Hylow yet, 
an’ I don’t know why you should think so.” 

“ Perhaps I don’t. One-one-four ; but we fishermen 
from Portland are always bearin’ about how Glouces- 
termen can ride over us, till it ’s no more ’n natural 
we should think we was the scum of the earth as 
compared with ’em ; but when the Hylow ’s got fish 
enough aboard to put her in good trim, we ’ll show 
some of these crack Gloucester drivers whether they 
can sail ’round us or not ! I don’t make a business of 
racin’; as a matter of fact I claim a skipper has got 
no right to take the chances on the lives of his men 
by drivin’ a craft under three or four feet of water 
for the sake of bein’ able to say he got into port an 


200 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


hour earlier by so doin’. I know it pays if you ’ve 
got a fare of fresh fish an’ want to catch the top of 
the market. Then there ’s reason for drivin’, an’ if 
you carry away a balloon or two, or even a topmast, 
you ’ve got some excuse, ’cause the price of fish is 
bound to jump mighty quick, an’ the difference of a 
few hours counts a good many hundred dollars more 
or less.” 

Then Captain Ben, having relieved his mind, if 
indeed it was relieved, as to the wisdom of earning a 
reputation for driving a vessel to the danger point, 
relapsed into silence. Reuben rowed steadily, the 
chug of his oars in the thole-pins alone breaking the 
silence, and Tim, despairing of finding a seat on the 
fluke of the anchor, faced about until he was looking 
directly over the stem of the dory upon what was 
to him the same wonderful scene as when he first 
viewed it. 

The searchers for Jerry Bates passed the Hylow 
some distance away, but One-one-four could make 
out a tiny figure forward who seemed to be doing 
nothing except gazing seaward, and understood that 
Abram Doak, too much excited to be able to attend 
to his duties in the galley, was watching anxiously, 
hoping it might be possible for him to get some idea 
of what was going on when the search came to an end. 

Beginning with the schooner which lay nearest on 


MISCHIEF, 


201 


the eastward side of the Hylow, the tour of this por- 
tion of the fleet was made in much the same manner 
as had been the other, and with similar results. 
Every fisherman in view had been asked concerning 
Jerry Bates, and each had replied, with apparent 
truthfulness, that he knew nothing whatever concern- 
ing him. 

“ What do you make of it, Cap’n ? ” Reuben asked 
when word was given to pull the dory around. “ It 
don’t stand to reason he could have got so very far 
away, seein’ ’s how he stopped to cut the trawls, an’ 
even if he tried to, where did he go ” 

“ That ’s what ’s puzzlin’ me, Reuben,” Captain 
Ben said in perplexity. “ I can’t believe any of the 
men we have seen would lie to us for such a scurvy 
rascal as Bates. Yet he must be here in this fleet. 
He ’s not got nerve to put off, without a sail, for 
Halifax or St. Pierre, an’ there ’re no ports nearer 
than those.” 

“We have n’t had a look at all the dories yet ; but 
it strikes me we ’ve seen the most of ’em. Besides, 
what could he gain by loafin’ ’round as if he was at 
work. I ’ve kept my eye out for a boat with only 
one man in it, but I haven’t seen any so far. You 
don’t suppose there ’s a chance he went to the bottom 
while foolin’ with the trawls, eh.^ ” 

“ Not in weather like this, Reuben. Bates is too 


202 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


good a sailor to have an accident like that happen 
to him. He must be here, an’ I ’ll find him out if we 
don’t take another fish. It ’s too late to do anythin’ 
more now. The sun ’ll be settin’ in less than an 
hour, an’ even though we have n’t had a great catch 
to-day, there ’s considerable dressing down to be 
done ’twixt now an’ mornin’. We ’ll sleep over it, 
Reuben. We ’ll sleep over it.” 

“ If so be you was willin’, Cap’n Ben, I ’d take one 
man — say Bob Ahearn — to-morrow mornin’, an’ over- 
haul every blessed dory on this ’ere bank.” 

“We ’ll sleep over it, Reuben, we ’ll sleep over it,” 
and more than that Captain Ben would not say until 
they were aboard the Hylow again, when he asked 
sharply : 

“ Any trawls been set since we left.^’ ” 

“We got out two skates, an’ will have a couple 
more down ’twixt now an’ dark,” Joe Barker 
replied. 

“ You an’ Ahearn can set ’em, an’ the rest of us ’ll 
dress down. Get somethin’ to eat, an’ then we ’ll be 
at it.” 

“ What about Bates ” 

Captain Ben went into the cabin as if he had not 
heard the question, and immediately he was below, 
Reuben and Tim were overwhelmed with questions 
concerning the result of their visit ; but, as is known. 


MISCHIEF. 


203 


they could give no information concerning the man 
all were eager to find. 

One-one-four hurried below as soon as it was pos- 
sible to release himself from the grasp of those who 
were eager to ply him with questions, Abram Doak 
following close at his heels. 

“What did you see.?’” Seth asked eagerly when 
Tim entered the cuddy. 

“ A whole slat of vessels, but there was n’t one of 
’em I ’d swap for the Hylow^ though Cap’n Ben said 
we had seen the pick of the Gloucester fleet.” 

“ Never mind the Gloucester fleet,” Abram cried 
impatiently. “ What do we want with them when 
you know we ’re achin’ to hear about that villain.” 

“ I can’t tell you anythin’ about him,” Tim replied. 
“ Everybody we come across swore he had n’t been 
seen, an’ that ’s all there is to it.” 

“ But he is here ! ” Abram screamed. “ You dare 
to stand up there an’ tell me he could get off this 
bank ’twixt the time he sneaked away an’ now.?” 

“ I ain’t tellin’ you anythin’ about it, ’cause I 
don’t know. We could n’t find him, an’ we asked the 
folks on board every vessel.” 

“ Somebody ’s hidin’ him, that ’s what ’s the mat- 
ter. I ain’t so thick-headed as to have it shoved 
down my throat that a man with only a pair of oars, 
an’ no sail, could stop to cut trawls, an’ get clean 


204 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


away since somewhere about midnight. Is the cap’n 
goin’ to search for him ? ” 

“ He says he ’ll sleep over it.” 

“ Yes,” Abram screamed, “ he ’ll sleep over it, will 
he ? What ’s that but givin’ Bates all the more 
chance to cut his stick ? If I ’d gone out lookin’ for 
the villain there would n’t be any need of sleepin’ over 
it, ’cause I ’d have him by this time.” 

Tim understood that it was no use to make any 
attempt to argue with the angry cook, who was not 
in condition to listen to reason because of his temper, 
and he turned all his attention to making an inter- 
esting story of the excursion for the invalid’s 
benefit. 

When the first half came to supper, with the cap- 
tain among them, nothing was said regarding the 
failure of the search. Because the master of the 
Hylow remained silent on the subject, it was under- 
stood that he was not in a very pleasant frame of 
mind, and to criticise the failure might provoke 
harsher words than would be pleasant. 

After the first half had finished the meal, however, 
none save Captain Ben went on deck ; therefore it was 
that all the crew remained together while the second 
half was eating, and a noisy time they had of it. 
Every man seemed to consider it his duty to explain 
that the search had not been conducted properly, 


MISCHIEF, 


205 


and never one of them failed to heap reproaches upon 
Reuben Hardy’s head. 

That much-abused fisherman bore it meekly for a 
time, and then, as if believing the moment had come 
when silence was no longer golden, he burst forth: 

“ A bloomin’ sharp set you are ! I reckon there 
ain’t one among you, includin’ One-one-four, who 
could n’t have swung out here anywhere an’ picked 
up Bates whenever he felt like it ! You ’re a fine set 
to jump on to me! What did I have to do with it? 
I pulled the dory from one craft to another while the 
cap’n asked questions. There was n’t a skipper that 
did n’t speak fair, an’ all of ’em was chafin’ under 
the collar when we told about his havin’ cut trawls. 
You may think there ’s a Gloucesterman mean 
enough to hide him after what he ’s done, but I don’t.” 

Then where is he? ” Joe Barker screamed, and 
Reuben literally danced with rage as he replied: 

‘‘Where is he, you bloomin’ idjut! How do you 
suppose I know? I broke my back pullin’ ’round the 
whole fleet for nothin’, an’ do you reckon I ’d done 
that if I knew where he was ? If you chumps ’d have 
more sense an’ less gift of gab, we might hit on some 
head to this ’ere business. I told Cap’n Ben if he ’d 
let Bob Ahearn go with me in the mornin’, we ’d pull 
’round to every dory an’ make certain he was n’t in 
any of ’em.” 


206 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


“ What did the skipper say ? ” Bob Ahearn cried 
excitedly. 

“ What did he say.? He said, ‘ We ’ll sleep over it, 
we ’ll sleep over it,’ an’ that ’s all I could get out of 
him. Now if any of you smarties think you can do 
more, why get about it, an’ leave me in peace. I ’m 
worked up as bad as you are, an’ don’t like any man 
to tell me that I can pull at a pair of oars all the 
afternoon an’ not be able to tell a codfish from a 
mackerel ! ” 

“ Will you go out an’ hunt for him. Bob ? ” Abram 
asked anxiously. 

“Will I.?” Ahearn cried. “Let Cap’n Ben give 
me the chance ! I ’m willin’ to go alone for that mat- 
ter. We know plenty well that he ’s here somewhere; 
but what we don’t know is that he won’t be out cut- 
tin’ our trawls agin as soon as it ’s dark. I never 
had any fault to find with Cap’n Ben Willard before ; 
but I ’ve got it good an’ plenty now, if he ’s goin’ to 
‘ sleep over it ’ when that beast of a Bates is workin’ 
mischief such as the meanest fisherman I ever knew 
would balk at.” 


CHAPTER XII. 


TRAWL-CUTTING. 

Owing to the destruction of the trawls, the crew of 
the Hylow were not forced to spend very many hours 
in dressing down on this particular night. There 
were no more than three thousand pounds of fish on 
board, when, but for the cutting of the trawls, there 
would have been at least twice as much, and the work 
of packing the small catch was not great. 

There was not one among the crew who did not 
feel a sense of personal injury because the Hylow^s 
portion of the harvest had been so small, when all 
the other vessels of the fleet had taken in enough to 
cover their decks flush with the rail. That they were 
able to turn in at an early hour was no balm for their 
wounded feelings ; had it been necessary for them 
to dress down during the next twelve or fifteen hours, 
every man jack of them jumping to it the best he 
knew how, all hands would have been in high spirits. 
Now, however, they worked in silence. Captain Ben 
being the only one who made any attempt at carry- 
ing on a conversation, and even he speedily gave over 
such effort after learning that his crew were deter- 
mined not to be beguiled into cheerfulness. 

207 


208 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


It was not yet ten o’clock in the evening when the 
last fish had been salted down. Then, instead of 
leaving the task of cleaning up for Tim to perform, 
all hands, even including the captain, set about put- 
ting things to rights ; consequently the work was done 
in short order, and as the men paused to make cer- 
tain everything was shipshape, Ezra Snow said 
questioningly : 

“ Reuben allows as how you ’re needin’ to sleep 
over it before sayin’ what shall be done towards 
tryin’ to catch the scoundrel that cut the trawls ? ” 

“ That ’s what I said,” Captain Ben replied, turn- 
ing as if to go into the cabin. Then, seemingly 
thinking something in the way of an explanation was 
due his men, he added: “There’s no need for us to 
rush matters, boys. We know Bates is here some- 
where, an’ while the fishin’ holds good he can’t get 
away. It’s mighty easy for a man, by givin’.free 
rein to his temper, to do that for which he ’ll always 
be sorry. The best way to keep clear of such a mess 
is to sleep over it.” 

“ Is it in your mind, Cap’n, to let a man who is 
willin’ to cut trawls, just for spite, go scot free.^ ” 
Joe Barker asked, and Captain Ben understood that 
it was necessary for him to declare himself plainly, 
otherwise much dissatisfaction among the willing, 
hard-working crew might be brought about. 


TRAWL-CUTTING. 


209 


“ I ’ll tell you how it is, lads. I want you to look 
at this matter like men, rather than children. Of 
course, you understand that I ain’t in no way uphold- 
in’ Jerry Bates, an’ I don’t consider him fit to asso- 
ciate with decent men. His is a queer make-up, an’ 
perhaps he ain’t wholly responsible for it, not havin’ 
tried to keep his temper in check when he was 
younger. To give him all that ’s cornin’ to him, we ’ll 
say that he did n’t mean to work Seth any harm — 
that it was an accident caused by his flyin’ into a 
rage ” 

“ What about his half drowndin’ One-one-four ? ” 

“ Of course that was his temper agin. While a 
man must be held responsible for what he does when 
he flies into a rage, we have to consider that he 
did n’t have the right kind of trainin’ when he was 
young. Now here in a nutshell is why I want to 
sleep over this thing before making any move: He is 
out of the Hylow; we ’re rid of him ; he ’s got our 
dory, but that ’s only a matter of eighteen dollars. 
He has cut our trawls, but they would n’t be mended, 
no matter what we might be able to do to him, an’ 
I ’m allowin’ he ’ll give us a wide berth after this. 
Therefore I question if we are wise in spending time 
that could be used in fishin’, just to gratify feelings 
which we shouldn’t be proud of. Take my advice, 
lads ; don’t chew this thing over till you ’re all worked 


210 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


up, but sleep over it, as I ’m goin’ to do, an’ in the 
mornin’ we ’ll say whether it ’s a payin’ job for us to 
hunt up a man we ’re mighty glad to lose.” 

Having said this Captain Ben wheeled sharply 
about and went into the after-cabin, while the men 
hung in the wind, not well pleased to follow the skip- 
per’s advice, but yet almost ashamed to run contrary 
to it. 

During a full minute no one spoke, and then Bob 
Ahearn said with a mirthless laugh : 

“ I don’t reckon it would be injurin’ Mr. Bates 
very much if we had a cup of coffee, an’ whatever 
else in the way of a stomach-strengthener Abram may 
be willin’ to deal out.” 

With this he went into the cuddy, followed by all 
the crew, and never a man of them joined Captain 
Ben in the after-cabin, which was good indication 
that they intended to so far disregard his advice as 
to “ chew the matter over ” before “ sleeping on it.” 

“ I reckon I ’ll take down this ’ere board far enough 
so ’s you can see what is goin’ on, for ’cordin’ to all 
appearances there ’s likely to be a lively session here,” 
Abram said to Seth as the men began to come below. 

“ There ’s no need of wastin’ time on me, Mr. 
Doak, ’cause it don’t make any difference whether I 
can see out or not,” the invalid replied. 

“ Bless your heart, it won’t be wastin’ time, ’cause 


TRAWL-CUTTING. 


211 


I ’ve got nothin’ to do but sit ’round while the tongue- 
waggin’ is goin’ on, an’ I ’ve the idee there ’ll be a 
good deal of it, considerin’ as how some of this ’ere 
crew don’t seem disposed to follow the skipper’s 
advice.” 

Then the captain of the galley set to work pulling 
out the nails which held the extra berth-board in 
place, and lowering it until it was possible for the 
lad, by raising his head a trifle, to look over the 
top. 

“ I don’t dare take it off entirely, seein’ ’s how the 
sea may come up at any time, an’ it would n’t do for 
you to be jumped out on the floor while that ’ere 
splintered leg seems to be gettin’ on so well,” Mr. 
Doak said when the task was finished, and then fold- 
ing the lad’s coat, he so arranged it as to increase 
the size of the pillow. “ Now you ’ve just the same 
as got a reserved seat to this ’ere show, an’ I ’m al- 
lowin’ there ’s goin’ to be quite a time here in the way 
of chinnin’ before the matter is settled.” 

In this supposition Mr. Doak was correct. The 
men were no sooner in the cuddy, each with a steam- 
ing mug of coffee, than they seemed to forget all 
Captain Ben had said, and, because every one wanted 
to talk at the same time, voices were raised until the 
din became almost deafening. 

Ezra Snow was the man who appeared to be the 


212 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


more deeply aggrieved because Captain Ben was 
disposed to let Jerry Bates go his way without pun- 
ishment, and he claimed that it was a bad sign, es- 
pecially on the first voyage of a new vessel, to lose 
anything by theft. 

“ It stands us in hand to get back the dory, even 
though we let the trawl-cuttin’ go,” he said in an 
oratorical tone, standing with his back against the 
companion-stairs so that all might see him. “ I ’ll 
agree with Cap’n Ben that the price of the dory ain’t 
enough to pay us for knockin’ off work when the fish 
are strikin’ in so sharp ; but s’pose we don’t ? S’pose 
we let the thing drop as the skipper says, what ’s 
goin’ to be the result of it.'* Why, we ’ll be losin’ the 
clothes off our backs on the next trip, ’cordin’ to all 
the signs, an’ I never saw one like this fail. I was 
out in the old Mary an' Ella — first cruise she made — 
right off the ways. We put into Fortune Bay for 
bait, an’ one of ’em thievin’ Miquelon fishermen stole 
a tub full of trawls. Jim Beers was cap’n — he was 
one of them easy-goin’ men, as you know. He says, 
says he, ‘ WTio ’s goin’ to chase all over Newfound- 
land for a lot of trawls.^ Let the Miquelon have ’em 
if he wants ’em, I ’m agreeable.’ I begged of him on 
’count of the sign not to drop the thing there, but 
keep on if we spent the whole season, rather ’n bring 
bad luck on the schooner ; but no, he held out, an’ we 


TRAWL-CUTTING. 


ai3 

went to fishin’. Now what do you think happened? 
We run into St. John toward the last end of the sea- 
son, an’ I ’ll be blamed if we did n’t lose a seine 
that was pretty nigh as good as new — well, it was 
worth five hundred dollars to any man among us — an’ 
all ’cause we did n’t put our hands on that Miquelon 
thief as we ought’er have done.” 

‘‘ Boil down your signs, Ezra. Who cares for 
’em ? ” J oe Barker cried impatiently. “ What I ’m 
thinkin’ of is that Jerry Bates is somewhere chucklin’ 
to himself ’cause he ’s got the best of us.” 

‘‘Yes; but where is he?” Mr. Doak asked as he 
wedged himself behind the stove in his favorite posi- 
tion. “ He shipped on a good lay, an’ it don’t stand 
to reason he can get the same, no matter what craft 
he goes aboard of, down here on the Banks. He ’ll 
take what they ’re a mind to give him, which ’ll be 
the smallest end of it, of course, ’cordin’ to my way 
of figurin’. He may have a little the best of us ; he ’s 
bound to get the worst of it hisself.” 

“ Are you holdin’ to it that the cap’n is right in 
lettin’ him alone? ” Ezra cried angrily. 

“ I won’t say ‘ Yes ’ to that, an’ I don’t know as 
I ’ll say ‘ No.’ Takin’ a sensible squint at it, the 
thing looks a good deal like bitin’ olf your nose to 
spite your face, when you knock off work, at a time 
like this to chase up somethin’ you don’t want, such as 


214 ) 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


Bates. I ’ll agree with the skipper, though, that 
it ’s better to sleep on it than go off half-cocked. 
What do you say. Bob ? ” 

“ I ’m ready to sleep, seein’ ’s how we can’t do any- 
thin’ else just now; but you can set it down as a fact 
I ’ll get my hands on that trawl-cuttin’ villain before 
the season ’s over ! ” 

Then Bob Ahearn, by way of showing he had no de- 
sire to continue what was a useless discussion, rolled 
into the nearest bunk, leaving Ezra to cite cases 
where direst misfortune had followed a fishing vessel 
because some of her crew had neglected a sign or an 
omen which might have been righted. 

If Mr. Snow’s shipmates had not been so thor- 
oughly well acquainted with him and his yarns, they 
might have listened with somewhat of patience to 
the long-winded recitals ; but, as it was, one by one 
tired of the superstitious tales, and went to their 
bunks in the after-cabin or in the cuddy until none 
was left to hear him, save Abram, who was nodding 
so sleepily that there seemed very great danger he 
might burn the end of his nose on the hot stove- 
pipe. 

“ I ’ve done all I can to bring things ’round right,” 
Ezra exclaimed on discovering that his one auditor 
was not in a condition to hear what he said. “ I 
s’pose I can stand it to buck agin plain signs the bal- 


TRAWL-CUTTING. 


215 


ance of this ’ere cruise ; but you won’t find me aboard 
the Hylow another season.” 

“ Then it ’ll be ’cause Cap’n Ben don’t want you,” 
Abram replied, straightening himself up with a start 
which threatened to dislocate his spinal column. 
“ Before this time next year you ’ll have it that when 
anythin’ is stole from a new vessel it ’s a sign of big 
luck ; but however you figure it out, I ’m goin’ to 
turn in while there ’s a chance, for after the skipper 
has idled away half a day you ’ll find he ’ll drive all 
hands mighty lively to make up for it.” 

Then the captain of the galley crept into his bunk, 
and how long Ezra Snow remained propped up 
against the companion-stairs, meditating upon signs 
and omens, Seth was unable to say, for he fell asleep 
before the superstitious fisherman had made any 
change of position. 

It was not yet daylight the next morning when all 
hands were turned out by a summons from the deck, 
and while Abram was making ready breakfast the 
crew of the Hylow prepared for work, it being ideal 
fishing weather. Captain Ben ordered the men into 
the boats as soon as they had broken their fast, with 
never a word as to what conclusions he had arrived 
at after sleeping upon the question of Jerry Bates’s 
punishment. 

One-one-four had gone on deck to have a look 


216 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


around as soon as he turned out, and he came back 
almost immediately in a state of great excitement. 

“ There ’s one crew short for the dories, ’cause 
Jerry Bates has left,” he said hurriedly to Seth, 
“ an’ what do you s’pose ? Cap’n Ben says there ’s 
no reason why I should n’t go out with Ezra ! If 
he can’t have a mate of course he ’s bound to stay 
aboard, an’ I ’m gettin’ the chance of my life now 
to find out whether I can ever be a fisherman ! ” 

“ Do you suppose you can do anythin’ to help Mr. 
Snow ? ” Seth asked in surprise. 

“ He says I ought’er be able to run a trawl as well 
as anybody, after I kind er get my hand in. Of 
course it ’ll come hard on him, ’cause I won’t be able 
to pull the boat much of any; but you can just bet 
I ’ll try my best ! Say, you ain’t goin’ to get lone- 
some ’cause I ’ve gone ? ” 

“ Of course I ain’t, Timmy ! I ’m glad you ’ve 
got such a good show. Be careful of yourself, won’t 
you.'* It ’d be terrible if you should fall overboard.” 

“ I don’t know how you make that out. I ’ve had 
one try at it already, an’ pulled through all right.” 

“ But you might not the next time, an’ it don’t do 
to take any chances, ’cause you want to be sure to 
live long enough to tell your mother that you did n’t 
really run away.” 

‘‘ I ’ll ’tend to that part of it, old man ; but I ’m 


TRAWL-CUTTING, 


S17 


goin’ to let her know how it happened before the 
Hylow gets back to Portland.” 

“ How can you do that.? ” Seth asked in surprise. 

“ Bob Ahearn told me that you an’ I ought’er 
write some letters so ’s to send ’em by the first vessel 
that leaves here. That ’s the way all the fishermen 
do, an’ when I get back to-night I ’m goin’ to try 
my fist at it, though writin’ ain’t my strong hold. 
But say, I can’t stay here talkin’, ’cause it would n’t 
do to keep Ezra waitin’. Now don’t get lonesome, 
an’ when I come back with a dory full of fish I ’ll 
bring the biggest one down here an’ show it to you.” 

“ Hold on there. One-one-four ! Don’t you dare 
go off without somethin’ in your stomach ! ” Abram 
called sharply as Tim was bounding up the com- 
panion-way. “ If you ever count on bein’ a fisher- 
man you ’ve got to see to it that your insides are kept 
full.” 

“ But I ain’t hungry. I ’m afraid Ezra ’ll be 
ready before I am.” 

‘‘ You are hungry, an’ Ezra can wait, if so be he 
does what he never did before since I ’ve known him, 
an’ that ’s bein’ among the first to leave a vessel in 
the mornin’. He ’s always behindhand, so you sit 
right down here an’ fill up.” 

Mr. Doak made certain his command would be 
obeyed, for, seizing One-one-four by the coat-collar, 


£18 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


he literally lifted the lad on to the locker, placing in 
front of him a generous supply of food and coffee. 

Tim was ready for his first lesson in trawl-running 
a good twenty minutes before his dory-mate had fin- 
ished breakfast, and, as Mr. Doak had predicted, the 
superstitious fisherman was among the last to leave 
the schooner. 

“ Now, son, you want to be mighty careful at the 
start,” Mr. Snow said as he halted at the rail before 
boarding his boat. “ Remember this is your first try 
at fishin’, an’ things have got to be done so ’s bad luck 
won’t follow. Be sure to stick your right foot inter 
the dory first, an’ as you value your life, pick up the 
left oar before you touch the other. I ’ve seen lads 
full as promisin’ as you are, who tumbled in any way 
first time of trawlin’, without takin’ heed how they 
touched the oars, an’ what happened.? Why I never 
see one of ’em that came out worth a cent. I ’ve in 
mind a lad from Harpswell; we was on the Georges, 
an’ mind you he knew what a trawl was all right, on 
’count of bein’ brought up in a fishin’ place ; but he ’d 
never been out to run one. I allowed he might go 
with me for a try, so what ’d the id jut do but jump 
with both feet at once right inter the boat, an’ pick 
up the right-hand oar. Now if that ain’t flyin’ in 
the face of Providence I don’t know what is ! What 
was the result.? Why he didn’t stay on the Banks 


TRAWL-CUTTING. 


^19 


but one season, an’ now he ’s ashore, tendin’ store, or 
some such thing as that, when he might have been 
a first-class fisherman. I do hate to see boys go to 
the bad ; but in a case like that you could n’t do any- 
thin’ to prevent it.” 

Tim, eager as he was to do a man’s full duty aboard 
the HyloWy observed carefully Mr. Snow’s instruc- 
tions, and the two started away from the schooner 
with all the signs in their favor. 

“ You ’re doin’ pretty well. One-one-four, for a 
beginnin’, an’ now see to it you hold out ! There ’re 
some aboard the Hylow as laugh at Ezra Snow ’cause 
he puts his faith in signs, but I tell you it don’t do 
any harm an’ I ’ve seen the time when it did a power 
of good. Last season we was goin’ down by Matinicus, 
an’ I was below with Bob Ahearn, Joe Barker, an’ 
two or three others of the boys, when we heard some- 
body sing out, ‘ There ’s the new moon ! ’ Now you see 
all of us knew she was there, an’ when it come our 
time to go on deck Bob an’ Joe did n’t pay any atten- 
tion to the moon, any more ’n if there had n’t been 
one. Out they went, shoulder to shoulder, lookin’ 
behind an’ every way, an’ it stands to reason it ’d 
be jest their luck to see her for the first time over 
their left shoulders. I ain’t built that way. I 
backed up out of the cuddy so ’s to make certain she ’d 
come over my right shoulder. Well, what happened.'^ 


220 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


Bob an’ Joe were dory-mates same as they are now, 
an’ if you ’ll believe me, the second time they went 
out to run trawls the wind came up all of a sudden a 
livin’ gale, with them loaded gunwale-deep, for the 
fish was takin’ on mighty fast. They had to throw 
over pretty nigh half of ’em, else they ’d never have 
got back to the schooner, an’ yet Bob ’ll laugh at me 
’cause I put faith in signs ! ” 

“ Well, things are all right this mornin’, Mr. 
Snow, so we ought’er have good luck.” 

“ Yes, that ’s what I ’m countin’ on,” Ezra said in 
a tone of content as he pulled leisurely at the oars. 
“ It ’d have pleased me a little better if you could 
have been ready to start earlier, ’cause then we 
might have taken the nearest trawls. Now we ’ll 
have to work our way down to the east’ard here, an’ 
spend half an hour or more rowin’ when we might 
have been takin’ fish same as you pick blueberries out 
on the Cape.” 

“ But I was ready before you, Mr. Snow,” Tim 
replied mildly. 

“Was you? Why didn’t you show up where I 
could see you? I hunted all ’round the cuddy with- 
out findin’ hide or hair of you ; that ’s what kept 
me behind.” 

As a dory-mate who would do considerably more 
than his share of carrying on the conversation, Ezra 


TRAWL-CUTTING, 


221 


Snow was a success. He talked faster than he rowed, 
spinning yarns of his wonderful success, as a fisher- 
man, and deviating now and then from the course of 
his story to point a moral by explaining that this 
piece of ill fortune would never have come about if 
some one had not run contrary to the omen in such 
cases, or explaining exactly how, from his point of 
view, a man might control the future if he was ex- 
ceedingly careful. 

He was yet engaged in giving his dory-mate a de- 
tailed account of a remarkably prosperous voyage 
which he had made after successfully guarding 
against a black cat who would have crossed his path 
at an unlucky angle, when they saw one of the trawl- 
buoys for which they had come in search, and an in- 
stant later Mr. Snow had food for other thought 
than that of omens. 

“Well, I’ll be totally jiggered!” he exclaimed, 
dropping the oar to point out the buoy, which was 
sailing merrily along on the crest of a wave, y 

“ What ’s the matter ” Tim cried in surprise. 
“ Ain’t you goin’ to pick it up ? ” 

“Pick it up, lad? Can’t you see she’s been cut 
adrift? That miserable Jerry Bates is still hangin’ 
’round here somewhere, workin’ everlastin’ mischief! 
Here ’s another trawl cut, an’ I s’pose Cap’n Ben ’ll 
think it ’s his boundin’ duty to sleep over it before we 


222 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


can raise a hand toward stoppin’ that villain’s work.” 

It was as Mr. Snow had said. The easternmost 
trawl had been cut deliberately, as was seen when the 
buoy had been brought in-board, and it was reason- 
able to believe Jerry Bates had worked the mischief, 
for, fortunately, trawl-cutting was a crime which the 
average fisherman abhorred as something even worse 
than chicken-stealing. 

“ What are we goin’ to do ? ” Tim asked 
helplessly. 

“ I reckon there ’s nothin’ for it but to put back to 
the next one, an’ we ’ll find that in the same shape, or 
I ’m mistaken. Instead of gettin’ a lesson in run- 
nin’ trawls this mornin’ you ’ll have a chance to bear 
a hand at makin’ some, if we ’re to keep on supplyin’ 
’em for that miserable villain to destroy! We’ll 
carry the buoy back so ’s to show it, an’ see if there ’s 
any others ’round here in the same shape.” 

Before the two returned to the Hylow they found 
one more set of buoys adrift, and Mr. Snow’s wrath 
was overpowering. 

“ Benjamin Willard can keep on sleepin’ from 
now till Doomsday, if that ’s to his mind ; but he 
won’t do any more fishin’ till we ’ve routed out that 
Jerry Bates, you mark my word on that!” 

As a matter of course. One-one-four was deeply 
disappointed because he was thus deprived of an op- 


TRAWL-CUTTING. 


223 


portunity to try his hand at trawl-running, and thus 
was he in a frame of mind to realize more fully than 
he ever had done how despicable was such form of 
mischief. 

Ezra did not return immediately to the schooner. 
He was a mile or more away from the dory in which 
were Captain Ben and Reuben Hardy, and toward her 
he pulled vigorously, eager to give information of 
this last outrage. 

** We We lookin’ after the trawls here ! ” Captain 
Ben shouted when Ezra had come within hailing dis- 
tance, and the latter cried angrily: 

“ Well, it ’s mighty lucky for you there ’s any to 
look after! What with your sleepin’ over things, 
an’ givin’ that heathen a fair chance to cut more of 
his monkey-shines, you ’ll have to put into port for a 
new outfit.” 

“ What ’s gone wrong, Ezra? ” 

“ What do you s’pose ? Why do you reckon I ’m 
pullin’ over here when it was my business to get 
further to the east’ard, seein’ ’s how I was a little 
slow in gettin’ away? Think I ’m rowin’ a dory for 
my health? ” 

‘‘ Out with it, man,” Captain Ben said sharply, as 
he ceased his labor for a moment. 

“ Well, the trouble is there ’s no trawls to the 
east’ard to be run, seein’ ’s how Jerry Bates has done 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


the work for us same as he did before. Here ’s the 
buoys, if so be you want to figger out whether they ’ve 
been cut or not. Now I ’m tellin’ you, Cap’n, though 
I s’pose it ’s my business to wait till you speak first, 
that if somethin’ ain’t done mighty soon this ’ere 
cruise is the same as a dead failure.” 

As he spoke, Mr. Snow tossed one of the buoys into 
Captain Ben’s boat, and the skipper of the Hylow 
sat silently gazing at it until Ezra lost the small 
remnant of temper which he had managed thus far 
to retain. 

“Well,” he cried, “ goin’ to sleep over it agin? 
If there was a little more humpin’ an’ not quite so 
much sleepin’, I ’m thinkin’ we could manage to take 
a fish now an’ then ; but as it is we ’ve got to turn all 
our attention to riggin’ trawls for Jerry Bates to cut.” 

“ It ’s evident you ’ll have to get about that work 
now, or else lay idle,” the captain said as if suddenly 
coming to a realization of the situation. “ Pull back, 
an’ set about it. There ’s no use cryin’ over spilled 
milk.” 

“ Neither is there any use to keep tippin’ the 
pitcher up so the milk ’ll be spilled,” Ezra retorted 
as he swung the dory around, and better proof that 
he was sorely disturbed in mind could not have been 
had, than by his remaining absolutely silent until 
the dory was alongside the Hylow once more. 


TRAWL-CUTTING. 


225 


Bob Ahearn and Joe Barker had just come in with 
a full load of fish a few seconds before Ezra and Tim 
arrived, and as the dory came alongside empty Bob 
cried with a laugh: 

“ What ’s the matter, Ezra ? Signs gone wrong, 
an’ you had to put back ? ” 

“ I ’m tired of bearin’ so much about signs ! It ’s 
time you fellows dropped that, an’ begun to realize 
what ’s goin’ on ’round you.” 

“Tired of signs, Ezra.^^” Joe cried. “I don’t 
believe anythin’ like that could happen so long as 
you stay on top of water. Ain’t fish takin’ hold down 
to the east’ard ? ” 

“ Somethin’ besides fish is takin’ hold down 
there,” Ezra replied as he tossed the second buoy 
aboard Bob’s dory, and no further explanation was 
necessary. 

“ So he ’s still at it, eh ? ” Ahearn exclaimed with- 
out checking the silver stream of fish he was throw- 
ing aboard. “ He ’s still at it, an’ we ’re goin’ to 
hang ’round here gettin’ half a fare every day while 
the rest of the fleet are takin’ ’em hand over hand, 
just ’cause Cap’n Ben don’t want to make trouble for 
a cur like Jerry Bates ! It ’s time we looked about 
for another berth, if we ’re countin’ on makin’ a dol- 
lar this season. I wonder what the skipper ’ll say 
when he hears this ? ” 


226 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


“ He has heard it already,” Ezra said grimly. 
“ I showed a buoy to him as we was cornin’ along, an’ 
instead of goin’ inter the air like an honest man 
ought’er, he jest set moonin’ with the end of the line 
between his fingers, till I up an’ give him a good bit 
of my mind, even though he is the skipper, for my 
patience is clean worn out ! ” 

“ Where is he ? ” Bob asked sharply. 

‘‘ Over yonder ; second boat to the nor’ard from 
here.” 

“ Ezra, you an’ Tim unload this dory. Joe an’ 
I ’ll take yours, for it ’ll save time.” 

“ Time for what.? ” Mr. Snow asked impatiently. 
“ Time that ’s goin’ to be spent at somethin’ be- 
sides fishin’, till this business is brought to an end ! ” 
Bob cried as if it was only with difficulty he could 
restrain his anger. “ Last night I offered to go out 
an’ hunt up Bates. Now I ’m countin’ on askiri* the 
skipper to let me go, an’ if he wants to sleep over it 

agin, why ” 

“ Well, what ’ll you do. Bob.? ” 

“I ain’t say in’ jest now; but the chances are 
there ’ll be another spare berth aboard the Hylow, 
’cause I don’t count on spendin’ my time makin’ 
trawls for the sake of havin’ ’em cut.” 

“ Do you s’pose there ’s any chance some of them 
St. Pierre Frenchmen could be doin’ this thing.? ” 


TRAWL-CUTTING. 


Joe asked as he leaped out of the dory that Mr. Snow 
and Tim might come aboard. 

“ Of course there ain’t ! ” Bob replied savagely. 
‘‘ I ’ve no likin’ for that St. Pierre crowd, but at the 
same time I ’ll give ’em credit for not bein’ willin’ to 
do such a trick as that.” 

Then why was it the cap’n could n’t find Bates 
when he visited every vessel in the fleet ? ” 

“ That ’s a question I can answer better to-night,” 
Bob replied as he jumped into the dory which Ezra 
and Tim had just left. “Get aboard here, Joe; 
I ’m not minded to loaf ’round a great while, for we 
may have quite a job ahead of us, an’ you can count 
that we ’re not cornin’ back till it ’s finished.” 

“ Hold on for a bite of somethin’,” Abram cried 
as he showed his head above the cuddy-companion. 
“ You don’t want to be pullin’ ’round this ’ere fleet on 
an empty stomach ! ” 

“ Chuck somethin’ aboard then, for we can’t fool 
’round at table. I ’m out for Jerry Bates, an’ when 
we get back you ’ll know somethin’ more ’n you do 
now.” 


CHAPTER XIII. 


A MYSTERY. 

Mr. Snow had nothing to say during such time 
as he and Tim were engaged in unloading Bob’s dory. 
The fact that Jerry Bates, after a lapse of twenty- 
four hours, was still able and willing to do mischief 
to those who had never harmed him, was something 
in the way of vindictiveness which staggered the 
superstitious fisherman. 

As a matter of course, he had known during his 
life cases where fishing gear had been destroyed mali- 
ciously, but, fortunately, these were few in number; 
no more than four times had he even heard of such an 
outrage, for there were not many men willing thus 
to outlaw themselves. Among the fishing fleet no 
crime, save that of actual murder, is considered as 
heinous, and there was probably not a man then on 
Sable Island Bank who failed to remember the pun- 
ishment dealt out to that Nadeau of St. Pierre, two 
or three years before. This case was fresh in Ezra’s 
mind when he said to Tim, as the last fish was thrown 
aboard the Hylow: 


228 


A MYSTERY. 


229 


“ I ’m allowin’ if Cap’n Ben ’ll keep his hands off 
we ’ll give Bates more ’n Nadeau got, tough as it 
was. Even then he won’t be gettin’ all he deserves.” 

‘‘What was that?” Tim asked curiously. 

“ Why I allowed you ’d know all about it, ’spe- 
cially if you ’ve hung ’round the docks in Portland 
any, for it was common talk there nigh on to a whole 
season. This Nadeau — I ’m thinkin’ Tony ’s his other 
name — was about the most worthless specimen of a 
Frenchman you ever saw. He ’d ship with any 
skipper that was fool enough to take him; smuggle 
rum in his dunnage when he came aboard, an’ just as 
true as they struck fish in good shape, Nadeau ’d get 
hisself an’ two or three others of the crew bloomin’ 
drunk so ’s they could n’t raise a hand. He made 
sich a name among the French fleet that nobody ’d 
have him, so he went up to the States an’ shipped 
with Levi Turner of Orr’s Island — ^you remember 
him. He sailed the Pride of Casco till the old hulk 
went to pieces, an’ now he ’s got the Northern Light. 
Well, Cap’n Turner shipped Nadeau one season, an’ 
got it played on him just as I tell you. So next 
year who should turn up as smilin’ as a new ten-cent 
piece but this same Frenchman, allowin’ he was goin’ 
to have a berth aboard the Pride of Casco. Cap’n 
Turner says he ain’t takin’ any more chances with 
drunken men. Of course Frenchy, he allowed he ’d 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


never drink a drop stronger ’n water if it choked him 
to death, so finally Levi gives in, an’ lo an’ behold, 
first school they strike — they was out mackerelin’, 
you know ; the Pride of Casco did n’t do much else, 
’cept halibutin’ in the winter — they struck a big 
school, an’ if you ’ll believe it Nadeau carried a bot- 
tle of liquor with him when they went out with the 
seine. Bless my soul, but that man did cut up wild 
before the nets were hauled! Cap’n Turner, jest as 
soon as he got the fish aboard, put for the nearest 
land — did n’t wait to find a port — an’ sets him 
ashore.” 

“ Do you mean he put him right out where there 
was n’t any houses ? ” Tim asked. 

“ Well, it was on Matinicus, an’ there ain’t no 
great show of a town there, you know. So he dumped 
him; well an’ good for that part of it. Next season 
the Pride of Casco was down off the Georges trawlin’, 
while this Nadeau was in a Newfoundland schooner 
— I ’ve forgot her name — fishin’ close alongside, an’ 
every chance he got he cut Cap’n Turner’s trawls. 
It was quite a spell before anybody come to find out 
who was doin’ the mischief ; but finally they got him 
well to rights, an’ then the whole fleet knocked off 
long enough to have a trial. What do you ’spose 
they did with him.^^ They lashed his shoulders to a 
keg-buoy; hung a couple of pieces of pig-iron to 


A MYSTERY. 


231 

his feet, so ’s he ’d ride on an even keel, an’ anchored 
him out for twenty-four hours in thirty fathoms of 
water. That ’s the way Jerry Bates ought’er be 
served, though I ain’t sure but that it would be the 
proper caper to lash his feet to the cask, an’ put the 
pig-iron on his shoulders so ’s to let him ride keel 
uppermost ” 

Tim had scrambled over the rail even before Mr. 
Snow finished his story. He was eager to be on 
board the schooner where it would be possible to note 
the movements of Bob Ahearn’s dory, for there was 
a question in his mind as to whether Captain Ben 
would allow the two men to spend their time hunting 
for the mischief-maker. 

He had no difficulty in distinguishing the boat he 
sought, for all the other dories in the vicinity were 
intent upon fishing. Only this single one was being 
pulled straight away from the Hylow. 

While the lad stood there watching intently, Abram 
Doak came up out of the cuddy to ask, with impatient 
curiosity, what he was doing. 

“ There ’ll be considerable trouble aboard this ’ere 
schooner if Cap’n Ben makes any objection to let- 
tin’ Bob do as he wants,” Abram said when Tim had 
explained the matter, and then he also took part in 
watching, quite as eager as Tim to learn what the 
result would be. 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


Twenty minutes later Bob and Joe could be seen 
ranging alongside of the skipper’s dory, and Abram 
said excitedly : 

“Now I reckon Ahearn is givin’ it to the cap’n 
pretty hot, for he ’s got a good tongue of his own, 
has Bob, with mighty warm Irish blood behind it. 
As good a fellow as you want to meet till he ’s crossed, 
an’ then stand from under! Things won’t be pleas- 
ant hereabouts if the skipper tries to prevent him 
from doin’ what he ’s after. There ! the tongue- 
waggin’ is finished, an’ now you can tell how it ’s 
turned out, by the course they set! I declare for 
it, Cap’n Ben ’s given in without sleepin’ over it agin. 
Bob ’s pullin’ straight away for the fleet of dories up 
to the nor’ard. When he gets back I reckon we ’ll 
know considerable more about Jerry Bates than we 
do now.” 

It was evident Aheam had gained the desired per- 
mission, unless indeed he had set off against the cap- 
tain’s will. At all events, it was certain Bob and Joe 
were scrutinizing closely the occupants of every boat 
in the fleet, and there seemed little chance but that 
the trawl-cutter would soon be brought to such jus- 
tice as the crew of the Hylow decided to mete out. 

Ezra had set about making a new trawl, and called 
Abram to assist him in the task. There was nothing 
Tim could do on deck, and therefore he went below 


A MYSTERY, 


^33 


to explain, for the invalid’s benefit, why his first les- 
son as a fisherman had been cut so short. 

This done, and Seth’s curiosity gratified. One-one- 
four suddenly bethought himself of the letter he in- 
tended to write to his mother, therefore decided that 
this was an opportune time in which to get about the 
work. Even though it was not probable any of the 
fleet would be homeward bound immediately, it stood 
him in hand to have the missive ready, and, besides, 
he might not find as much spare time on his hands 
again for many a long day. 

Mr. Doak willingly left his work of trawl-making 
to supply the lad with paper and pencil, and during 
the next hour One-one-four worked exceedingly hard, 
for letter-writing was not, as he explained to Seth, 
his “ strong hold.” 

When finally the task was completed, he surveyed 
the result with pride not unmixed with considerable 
shame, for the penmanship might have been im- 
proved upon decidedly, and the spelling of many 
words was not at all in accordance with the gener- 
ally recognized authorities. 

“ Now you see how it sounds, Seth,” he said with 
a long-drawn sigh of relief as he leaned back against 
the locker, the letter in his hand. “ I want to make 
sure mother ’ll understand just how it happened. I 
ain’t way up on this kind of business, an’ that’s a 


234 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


fact. I begin to think perhaps it would have been 
better for me if I ’d ’tended out on school a little 
longer, ’cause some of these words don’t look right; 
but she ’ll know what they mean. All I want is to 
have enough of ’em, so ’s she ’ll see I could n’t help 
runnin’ away.” 

Then Tim read the following: 

“ dear mother Me an’ Seth are down here nere sable 
iland in the hilow but we didnt run away, i mean 
seth did but i didnt cause they put on the hach wile 
we was in the hold i couldnt get out so of corse I had 
to come fishin. We are havin a teryble good time 
but i keep on bein fraid youll think I run away after i 
told you i wouldnt cause I didnt you see when the 
hach was fasend down how could i get out to go 
ashore, so seth broke his leg & captin Ben fixed it 
together the best way he coud but we dont no how 
the jobll turn out. The dory tipped over wile Mister 
doak was rowin wich made Bob mad an he says the 
cooks a lubber so you see I didnt count on runnin 
away but had to go cause they put on the hach so 
quick. Im leamin to be a fisherman & will have the 
job pretty nere down by the time i get home agin so 
youll see i coudnt help runnin away from your af- 
fecsionite son timothy p. Jones.” 

“ Seems ’s if that told the whole story, don’t it.?’ ” 
Tim asked anxiously when he had finished reading. 


A MYSTERY, 


and Seth replied with just a shade of doubt in his 
tones : 

“ I should think she ought to know that you had 
to go with me ; but did n’t you get it kind er mixed 
up ’bout my broken leg, an’ us bein’ thrown out of 
the dory ? ” 

‘‘ I don’t see why you should think that. It ’s just 
as plain as it can be. Now listen,” and Tim read 
once more the lines referring to the accident. 
“ She ’ll be blind if she don’t know what it means.” 

“ Yes, I s’pose it ’s all right, Timmy, an’ now I ’m 
wonderin’ whether we could n’t get Mr. Snow or Bob 
Ahearn to write to Uncle Joshua an’ mother for me.? ” 

“ Could n’t I do it.? ” 

“ Well, you see they ’d know more about where 
we was goin’ to land, an’ all that kind of thing, than 
you would.” 

“ Oh, you think they ’d make a better fist at it, 
eh ? ” One-one-four asked, sharply. 

“ I ain’t sayin’ quite that, Timmy ; but you see 
your mother understands what you write, ’cause she 
knows you; but my Uncle Joshua might get mixed 
up on it. Perhaps Mr. Doak would be willin’.” 

“ I ’ll ask him now,” Tim said quickly, recovering 
from the irritation which had assailed him with the 
suspicion that Seth did not believe he had succeeded 
very well in explaining the situation to his mother. 


^36 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


“ He ’ll do it jest as soon as he gets through 
helpin’ Mr. Snow,” One-one-four announced after a 
brief absence from the cuddy. “ He ’s got some post- 
age stamps, so ’s whichever vessel takes the letters 
can put ’em in the post-office at whatever port they 
make. I ’ll be parin’ some potatoes, an’ kind er get- 
tin’ things ready for dinner, so he ’ll have plenty of 
time to ’tend to you.” 

Now that Tim had written his mother with such a 
wealth of detail as to how he chanced to be aboard 
the HyloWy Seth was feverishly eager to have similar 
information sent those he loved, and awaited with no 
slight impatience until, after what seemed a very 
long time, during which One-one-four had pared a 
huge pail of potatoes, Mr. Doak entered the cuddy. 

“ Now then, lads, it ’s a letter you want, eh.^^ ” the 
cook said with an air of business as he rolled his 
shirt-sleeves yet a trifle higher, took off his vest, and 
otherwise prepared for the arduous task before him. 
“ I don’t write so terrible much when I ’m aboard 
ship, but ashore I count myself a pretty neat hand at 
it. First an’ foremost who ’re we goin’ to write to.? ” 

“ To my mother — she ’s in Liverpool ; an’ to Uncle 
Joshua — he ’s, well, I don’t know where.” 

“ Then in the name of goodness how ’re you goin’ 
to write him ? A man ’s got to be somewhere, else 
he can’t get a letter, an’ if he ain’t nowhere, what ’s 


A MYSTERY, 


237 


the use of sendin’ him one? You ought’er have fig- 
gered that out, Seth, before I came below.” 

“ How would it do to tell your mother where you 
are, an’ how you got here, an’ ask her to write to 
your Uncle Joshua? She could tell him where to 
send you a letter, don’t you see? ” One-one-four sug- 
gested with an air of wisdom. 

“ Yes, but how do I know where she ought’er send 
me a letter?” Seth asked in perplexity. “We 
could n’t get one down here.” 

“ I ’ll tell you how to fix it ! ” Abram cried with the 
air of one who has solved a vexed problem. “ She ’ll 
send the letter to me, an’ I can give it to you when 
we get inter port.” 

“ Well, do it up any way, Mr. Doak, so ’s she ’ll 
know I ’m all right, an’ ask her to tell you to tell me 
where Uncle Joshua lives, so ’s I can tell the steam- 
ship folks.” 

“ That seems to be kind’er mixed up ; but I ’ll do 
my best, son,” Abram replied, and then clearing the 
table of every dish in order that he might have plenty 
of room to “ spread himself,” as he expressed it, he 
set about the task. There were times, before the 
missive was finished, when Tim firmly believed the 
cook was absolutely lying down on the paper, such 
a large portion of the table did he occupy. 

“ There ! ” he exclaimed as he made a flourish at 


238 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


the end of the page, sending tiny drops of ink flying 
across the cuddy directly on Seth’s face. “ I reckon 
that ’ll do the business good an’ brown, an’ when we 
get inter port you ’ll j est the same as have your 
finger on Uncle Josh. Now listen: 

“ ‘ Kind an’ respected madam i take my pen in 
hand to inform you that your son’s broken leg is as 
well as could be xpected seein’ ’s how capin Ben aint 
what you might call a reglar doctor. Hes eatin 
hearty, takes three square meals a day an now an 
then somethin between whiles. He wants me to 
xplain all this to you sos you can let him know 
where his uncle Josh is. if youll kindly write to me 
at the followin address 111 tell your honored son what- 
ever you may be pleased to impart to me. Seein’ ’s 
how we may not be back for quite a spell, an as he 
don’t rightly know how he can dodge the officers 
when he lands I should advise you to write to me in- 
stead of to him. Hopin this will find you as it leaves 
me, an with all the compliments of the season I 
remain 

“ ‘ Your respected friend, 

“ ‘ Abram Doak, 

‘ Care of Mrs. Bagley.’ ” 
Abram leaned back on the locker, tapping the end 
of the pencil on his teeth, as he waited for the words 
of praise he expected to hear. 


A MYSTERY, 


239 


“Well, what do you think of it?” he asked im- 
patiently, as no one spoke. 

“ Of course that must be all right,” Seth replied 
doubtfully. 

“ All right ? Why, of course it is ! What more 
could you ask for? You don’t reckon that with 
dinner close at hand I ’m goin’ to sit down here an’ 
write a reg’lar book, do you ? I ’ve given her what 
you might call the bare facts, an’ she can get the 
little quirks later, when you ’re well enough to write.” 

“ Say,” One-one-four asked, “ who is Mrs. 
Bagley ? ” 

“ Why, that ’s the woman who keeps the house 
where I board.” 

“ An’ where does she live ? ” 

“ Jest ’round the corner from the Gaff Tops’l 
saloon.” 

“ Oh, is that the place ? ” Tim said half to himself, 
and then to Abram he added, “ Well, why don’t you 
put that down, so ’s she ’ll know where it is ? ” 

“ That ’s a good idee, lad. I come near for- 
gettin’ it.” 

At the bottom of the sheet, some distance from 
the signature with its inky flourish, Mr. Doak added 
the words Tim suggested; but neither he nor the 
lads realized that when Mrs. Garland received the 
letter she would not have any means of knowing in 


S40 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


what country or town Mrs. Bagley resided, and that, 
therefore, it might be difficult for her to reply. 

“ It ain’t nowise handy to write letters on ship- 
board, leastways, it don’t come so to me; but I 
gen’lly manage to pull out of it all right,” Mr. 
Doak said with an air of satisfaction as he enclosed 
the letters in envelopes, directed them according to 
instructions given by the boys, and affixed to each, 
after wetting it in his mouth for several minutes, a 
postage stamp. “ You ought’er see Ezra write let- 
ters. You ’d think he was one of these ’ere circus 
performers standin’ on his head. I ’ve seen him start 
a letter jest abaft this cuddy, layin’ down on the 
deck, mind you, so ’s he could get a good grip, an’ 
he ’d be plumb agin the after-cabin before he ’d fin- 
ished the first page. He worked the length of the 
Mary Willard four times try in’ to explain what he 
wanted done with a dog that he ’d bought from a 
man up in Baldwin an’ forgot to send for before we 
left port. It was the most dissatisfied letter you 
ever saw, an’ I ’m sayin’ right here, that I ’d be 
ashamed if I could n’t do a little thing like that as 
it should be done. Now then, we ’ll turn to on the 
dinner. When them bloomin’ fishermen of ours come 
aboard, they ’ll be as empty as that ’ere coffee-pot 
was after Jerry Bates knocked it off the stove. 


A MYSTERY, 


241 


Then, before the captain of the galley was ready 
for them, the crews of the dories began to return, 
and as one or another came alongside with a full fare 
of fish, and saw Ezra at work, each man quite natu- 
rally inquired why he was thus engaged. 

Of course the result of these questions was that 
within a short time all the people of the Hylow were 
aware of the latest mischief perpetrated, unques- 
tionably by Jerry Bates, and so excited and angry 
did the men become that when Captain Ben, who 
was among the last to pull up, came alongside, it 
looked as if a mutiny was in progress. 

“ There ’s no use in tuggin’ our hearts out here 
settin’ trawls, if they ’re to be cut one after the 
other,” Ezra Snow cried as the master of the 
schooner stepped over the rail, and he, sympathizing 
with the men although not inclined to spend his 
breath in scolding, said, quietly, addressing all on 
deck: 

“ There ’s no good reason for such a hullaballoo, 
’cause it won’t mend matters a little bit. Bob 
Ahearn an’ Joe Barker have started out to find 
Bates, for there ’s little doubt but that he ’s the man 
who ’s workin’ the mischief. I had hoped, bein’ once 
away from us, he ’d be glad to keep his distance ; but 
since he don’t seem so inclined, we ’ll take the law 

i6 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


into our own hands up to a certain point, for I 
know as w^ell as you do that we can’t afford to have 
things go on as they seem to be started.” 

“ What do you mean by takin’ the law up to a 
certain point, Cap’n ? ” Mr. Snow asked. 

“ Just this, Ezra: we ’ll make of Bates a prisoner, 
which we have no legal right to do, an’ hold him 
where he can’t work any more harm, although by so 
doin’ we ’re runnin’ contrary to the law.” 

“ An’ then what.?^ ” some one cried. 

“ Then we ’ll set him ashore at the first port.” 

‘‘An’ is that all.?” Mr. Snow cried in a tone of 
displeasure. “ He ’s broken up three or four days’ 
fishin’ for us, an’ we ’ll take him ashore as you would 
a passenger, eh ? ” 

“ There ’ll be no brutality, of that you may be 
positive, Ezra, for I won’t countenance it. I ain’t 
blamin’ you men for wantin’ to square accounts with 
him ; but at the same time you ’ll do as I ’ve said. 
No one shall raise a hand against him. I can’t be- 
lieve he ’s in his right mind, for what does he expect 
to gain by cuttin’ trawls.? How does he hope to 
keep clear of us .? ” 

“ I don’t know what he expects, nor don’t care,” 
Ezra cried angrily ; “ but so much I do know, that if 
I was the one who caught him he would n’t come back 
to this schooner in very good shape ! ” 


A MYSTERY. 


MS 


‘‘ An’ what benefit would that be to you, Ezra 
Snow ? ” 

“ It ’d do me a world of good, an’ I’d come nearer 
actin’ the part of a man than if I coddled him up 
a spell, an’ then carried him ashore so ’s he should n’t 
get his feet wet.” 

Captain Ben must have guessed that it was useless 
for him to make any attempt at arguing with his 
men while they were in such a mental condition, and 
perhaps he did not care to say very much then, even 
though it could have availed, for he understood full 
well how sore they were in mind. At a reasonable 
estimate the Hylow would have had on board at that 
moment not less than five thousand pounds more of 
fish than was then in the hold, which meant that the 
cruise would be prolonged so many days or hours 
beyond what might have been necessary but for 
Jerry Bates. 

The men were so excited that no one had even 
thought of going into the cuddy, although Abram 
had announced more than once that he was ready for 
the first half, when Reuben Hardy cried as he 
straightened himself up from unloading the dory: 

“Yonder comes Bob an’ Joe! Can you make out 
whether they ’ve got anybody else with ’em or not ? ” 

In a twinkling all had gathered in the bow of the 
gchopner, from whence the best view could be had of 


244 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


the boat Reuben referred to, but, strain their eyes as 
they might, it was impossible to distinguish other 
than the two who were working the oars. 

“ They must have caught the villain ! ” Ezra cried, 
moving to and fro as if it was impossible, because 
of his excitement, to remain in one position. “ Of 
course he ’d be in the bottom of the dory, seein’ ’s 
how they would n’t undertake to bring the sneak 
without makin’ him fast. The question is whether 
we stand bound to let Cap’n Ben have his way when 
he says nothin’ more ’s to be done than to set him 
ashore ” 

“ When them as ships for a fishin’ cruise under- 
take to run agin the cap’n ’s orders the folks ashore 
calls it mutiny,” Abram said with an air of exceeding 
wisdom, he having come out of the cuddy when the 
word was first passed that Bob and Joe had hove in 
sight. “ I ’m not allowin’ Cap’n Ben ’d go so far as 
to bring men inter court for a thing like that; but 
he ’d make it mighty warm for ’em otherwise, an’ it ’d 
be a pity for this ’ere crew, what has sailed together 
the last six seasons without a word, so to speak, to 
get into a row with a white man like Cap’n Ben Wil- 
lard on account of a dirty sneak same as Jerry 
Bates has turned out to be.” 

“ I reckon you ’re right, Abram, I reckon you ’re 
right,” Mr. Snow said thoughtfully. ‘‘ I won’t 


A MYSTERY, 


S45 


raise my voice agin whatever the skipper says; but 
if manoeuvrin’ will do it, I ’ll be one of them as car- 
ries him ashore, an’ then there may be a chance to 
square accounts.” 

There was no question in the mind of any one but 
that Bob and Joe were bringing back the man who 
had done so much mischief. Knowing he was some- 
where among the fleet, and understanding that no 
honest captain would shelter him after the story of 
his misdeeds had been told, it seemed only necessary 
that a thorough search of the dories, as well as the 
vessels, should be made in order to capture the 
culprit. 

Therefore it was that the men, in their eagerness 
to get a glimpse of the supposed prisoner, turned a 
deaf ear to the cook’s summons, and stood forward 
watching eagerly and impatiently the oncoming boat. 

Then, when it was within hail, and apparently un- 
able to restrain his curiosity longer, Ezra lifted his 
voice : 

“ Ahoy ! Where ’d you find him ” 

There was no reply. The two men bent their 
backs doggedly, and in silence. 

“ Ahoy ! Where ’d you find him ? ” 

No word came in answer, and Mr. Snow, beginning 
to grow uneasy in mind, said half to himself : 

“ What ’s got inter them lads ? Do you allow 


U6 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


Cap’n Ben gave ’em orders ’bout how they should 
come alongside for fear we ’d take charge of 
things ? ” 

“ They did n’t find him,” Reuben Hardy, who had 
gone into the after rigging, cried in a tone of bitter- 
est disappointment. “ There ’s nobody aboard the 
dory but Bob and Joe ! ” 

“ Did n’t find him ! ” Ezra exclaimed in bewilder- 
ment. “ What ’s the reason they could n’t find him, 
I’d Hke to know.^ You can bet 1 wouldn’t come 
back to this ’ere schooner without him ! ” 

“ That ’s what Bob Ahearn said last night,” some 
one cried, and then the dory came alongside, its crew 
leaping over the rail as they made the painter fast, 
but speaking no word. 

“ What ’s the matter. Bob ? ” Ezra cried implor- 
ingly. “ Why don’t you say somethin’? Why 
did n’t you fetch your man ? ” 

“ ’Cause we could n’t find him,” Bob replied almost 
savagely. “We ’ve held up every dory that ’s afloat, 
an’ been alongside the last bloomin’ vessel in the 
fleet.” 

“ But he ’s here somewhere ! ” 

“ That ’s what I said last night,” Bob added bit- 
terly. “ I believed I could go out an’ put my hand 
on him; but Joe an’ I’ve overhauled everythin’ in 
sight, an’ unless some of the skippers have lied to 


A MYSTERY, 


247 


us, which ain’t reasonable after we told what Bates 
had done, there ’s nothin’ for it but to say he ain’t 
here.” 

“ Then how did he cut the trawls last night ? ” 

‘‘ Perhaps it might have been somebody else,” 
Abram suggested, and Ezra cried angrily: 

“ I won’t believe it ! There can’t be another man 
so mean in a fleet of this size ! ” 

“ Well, all I can say is that it ’s a mystery,” Bob 
said with a gesture of helplessness as he went toward 
the cuddy, and just then Captain Ben came from the 
after-cabin, as he asked in a tone of perplexity: 
‘‘Didn’t you find him?” 

“ Neither hide nor hair, an’ we made the search 
jest as I told you it should be done. If Jerry Bates 
is the man who cut our trawls last night, then I say 
agin it ’s a mystery, an’ somethin’ I don’t want any 
dealin’ s with. Unless you ’re willin’ to say there ’s 
a skipper ’round here who ’ll hide a man like that, 
I ’m askin’ you what ’s become of him ? ” 

“ I wish I could answer your question. Bob,” and 
now Captain Ben looked more disturbed in mind 
than any member of his crew had ever seen him. 
“ It ’s a puzzler, an’ no mistake ! ” 

The men began to move about uneasily, each look- 
ing furtively at his neighbor as if having in mind 
something he dared not say. No one seemed to give 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


MS 

any heed to the noonday meal; fishing was appar- 
ently forgotten, and it was evident to the captain of 
the Hylow that unless this seeming mystery could 
soon be cleared up Jerry Bates absent was like to 
work more mischief to the crew than ever Jerry Bates 
present could have done. 


CHAPTER XIV. 


SABLE ISLAND. 

Realizing that something must be done, and at 
once, to prevent what promised to be a panic of fear 
because of the failure to find the mischief-maker. 
Captain Ben said sharply to the men, who were be- 
ginning to whisper among themselves with every sign 
of terror written on their faces: 

“ It strikes me I ’ve got a crew of old women, 
rather than men who ’ve knocked ’round these waters 
for the last half-dozen years. I ’ll admit it ’s ag- 
gravatin’ to know there ’s at liberty a fellow who ’ll 
do us a mischief whenever he can ; but how long since 
you lads have grown afraid of one man.? Is Jerry 
Bates such a wonderful creature that he can upset 
the work of fishermen like you ? ” 

“ A dozen Jerry Bateses would n’t do it if we could 
come at ’em ! ” Ezra cried. “ It ’s ’cause we can’t 
find the villain that ’s a-worryin’ of us. I ’m askin’, 
as does my mates, where is he, if so be Bob an’ Joe 
failed to hunt him out when they went through the 
entire fleet?” 


349 


250 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


“ Now you ’re showin’ the superstitious side of 
your nature, Ezra Snow, an’ the others are fools 
enough to listen to you ! ” Captain Ben cried angrily. 
“ What is there to fear more ’n when he was with us, 
’cept that we can’t keep an eye out on him.? ” 

“ It ’s the idee that he ain’t to be come at, an’ 
I ’m askin’, as are the rest, what kind of a man is it 
that can hide here on the open sea ? ” 

“ Now you ’re tryin’ to make out that there ’s some- 
thin’ wondrously mysterious about it all — gettin’ 
the ghost business into it just ’cause you ’ve always 
kept your foolish head crammed with ridiculous idees. 
He ’s somewhere ’round here, that ’s certain, for he 
has n’t changed his nature since he broke Seth’s leg, 
an’ he ’s on top of the water, too, as you ought to 
have sense enough to know. Now put it straight 
out of your mind that there ’s anythin’ unnatural or 
ghostly in this ’ere business, an’ keep about your 
work. We ’ve come down here for fish, an’ I ’m 
givin’ you my word that we ’ll stay till we get our 
full fare!” 

“ If it ’s a case of havin’ the trawls we make 
durin’ the day cut at night, then I ’m sayin’ we ’re 
like to hold on here quite a spell I ” Ezra cried 
sharply. 

‘‘ Yes, so we are. If you foolish men set down 
whinin’ instead of keepin’ on about your work. 


SABLE ISLAND. 


251 


There ’ll be no trawl- cuttin’ to-night, that I ’ll 
guarantee.” 

“ How can you prevent it more ’n you did last 
night ? ” Ezra continued. 

“ By standin’ watch ; if so be one man volunteers 
to help me out on the job, I ’ll keep movin’ ’round 
among the trawls from sunset to sunrise.” 

“ Things have come to a pretty pass when we ’ve 
got to stand guard over our own riggin’,” Bob 
Ahearn muttered, and the captain replied: 

“ It ’s a good deal better than knockin’ off work in 
order to whine like a crowd of girls, for by goin’ at 
it, as I ’ve said, we stand a chance of takin’ aboard 
what we came for, otherwise it ’s a case of gettin’ 
home with empty pockets, an’ bein’ called cowards on 
top of that. At all events, there ’s no trawls cut in 
the daytime, so get you below an’ fill up. Then set 
to work like honest fishermen who are not afraid of 
their own shadows. Dinner ready, Abram 

“ Ay, ay, sir, been waitin’ for the first half nigh on 
to an hour.” 

“ Then we ’ll get to work with our jaws, an’ give 
our tongues a breathin’ spell,” Captain Ben cried 
with a forced laugh, and led the way into the cuddy. 

While partaking of the meal he continued to jeer 
at the superstitious fears which were apparently 
gaining ascendency over his crew, thereby shaming 


252 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


not a few of those who were with him at table; but 
the second half, who were gathered on deck well aft, 
and among whom was Ezra, drank their fill of the 
unnatural or ghostly, thanks to Mr. Snow’s efforts 
in that line. 

When the second half was summoned to the cuddy, 
those who had finished the meal set off to run their 
trawls, but before they left Captain Ben cried in a 
peremptory tone, such as he seldom used save in 
cases of emergency: 

“ I don’t want any sogerin’ aboard this schooner ! 
Fill up as soon as you know how, an’ get away. 
We ’re not like to have many days as good as this, 
an’ can’t afford to waste fine weather. Try to get 
along decently, even though there does seem to be an 
inclination to play the part of cowards. I ’ll answer 
for it that neither Jerry Bates, nor any other man, 
does a mischief this night.” 

“ Ay, talk ’s cheap,” Ezra said, after first making 
certain the captain had gone over the rail. ‘‘ He 
can do a heap of promisin’ ; but I ’m tellin’ you, lads, 
that this thing ’s got so far along it can’t be stopped 
by keepin’ a dory movin’ ’round among the trawls. 
There ’s somethin’ more ’n ordinary mischief in this 
’ere business ! ” 

The men were not disposed to continue the con- 
versation in the blood-curdling fashion in which Ezra 


SABLE ISLAND. 


25S 


would have carried it on, and, instead of replying, 
all hands set about obeying the captain’s orders, mov- 
ing about with such good will that very speedily 
every member of the crew, save the cook and One- 
one-four, were out-board pursuing their work as if 
there was nothing mystifying to trouble them. 

I ’m thinkin’ the best thing Cap’n Ben can do 
will be to lay his course for Portland Head, an’ start 
over agin,” Mr. Doak said as he and Tim set about 
washing the dishes. “ What with Bates’s work, an’ 
Ezra to keep the men stirred up, this ’ere cruise 
comes mighty nigh bein’ a failure, an’ I ’m ’fraid 
things won’t mend.” 

“Are you beginnin’ to be scared of ghosts too ? ” 
Seth asked with a laugh. 

“ Ghosts be hanged ! I ’ve got more sense than 
that ; but I ’ll tell you, lads, it puzzles me mightily, 
this ’ere thing about Bates. As I said before, it 
don’t stand to reason that there ’s a skipper in this 
’ere fleet, not even a Frenchman from St. Pierre, who 
would hide a trawl-cutter away from us, an’ yet, 
where is he ? ” 

“Now what’s the use of askin’ that question?” 
One-one-four cried almost irritably. “ I ’ve heard it 
more ’n forty times ! Why, of course he ’s ’round 
here somewhere, even though you do think there ’s 
nobody who ’d hide him, else he could n’t come out to 


254 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


cut trawls. Say, are we goin’ to loaf all the 
afternoon ? ” 

“Now what do you mean.?” Mr. Doak asked in 
surprise. 

“ What ’s the reason we could n’t be dressin’ down .? 
It ain’t likely I could make any great fist at it; but 
it ’d help along jest so much, an’ if you ’d take the 
time to show me, I ’d soon break in.” 

“ Well, say. One-one-four, you ’re gettin’ to be a 
reg’lar glutton for work, ain’t you.? Try in’ mighty 
hard to be a fisherman.? Well, I’ll give you a lift 
if you want to dress down this afternoon. We ’ll get 
at it, seein’ ’s how I ain’t got any great sight of 
cookin’ to be done; but what about leavin’ Seth here 
all alone.?” 

“ Don’t you worry ’bout me,” the invalid said 
cheerily. “ I ain’t countin’ that anybody must stay 
just ’cause I can’t get out of the bunk, so go ahead 
an’ show Tim how to cut open a fish.” 

When Captain Ben and Reuben Hardy returned 
with the first dory-load, Abram and Tim had given 
no slight proof of their ability to dress down, and the 
captain cried, as if this evidence of their willing- 
ness to work pleased him very decidedly: 

“ Now that ’s somethin’ to make a man feel good, 
after all the nonsense we ’ve been havin’ ! I don’t 


SABLE ISLAND, 


255 


believe that the galley-cap’n of this ’ere schooner can 
afford to spend his time doin’ the work of men; but 
all the same it comes in mighty handy jest now. Keep 
at it, my hearties, an’ let the cowards of the crew 
see what the cook an’ a lad can do while they ’re 
scarin’ themselves most to death ! ” 

Captain Ben was not the only one who cheered 
these two at their work. They were praised by al- 
most every man who came alongside, and there can be 
no doubt but that the example which they were set- 
ting was of benefit to all hands, for when night came 
the crew of the Hylow were in a much more cheerful 
mood. 

It was after the second half had finished their sup- 
per, and preparations were being made for the work 
of the night, that Bob Ahearn said to Captain Ben, 
speaking in a tone so loud that every one must neces- 
sarily hear him : 

“ You allowed, Cap’n, that you ’d take one of the 
crew an’ stand guard over the trawls to-night.” 

“ Ay, that was my agreement, an’ I ’m countin’ 
on keepin’ it.” 

“I ’ve been thinkin’ this past hour, that there ’s 
one place hereabouts which has n’t been looked over, 
an’ there ’s jest a chance that by skippin’ it we ’ve 
given Bates the show he wants. How would it do if. 


256 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


instead of your pullin’ ’round among the trawls to- 
night, you ’d let One-one-four go off with me ? ” 

‘‘ Where are you countin’ on goin’, Bob ? ” 

« To Sable Island.” 

‘‘ Why, man dear, even if you could make a landin’ 
on the southerly side, which I misdoubt, it ’d take 
from now till sunrise to get there an’ back, to say 
nothin’ of searchin’ the sandpit, an’ in case of pullin’ 
’round the other point you ’d need more ’n twelve 
hours.” 

“ I don’t care how much work ’s needed ; I ’m willin’ 
to put it all in, an’ I ’m not askin’ any man to give 
me a hft with the oars. I ’ll even drop the idee of 
takin’ Tim with me, if you say the word, ’cause this 
’ere mystery has got to be cleared up, an’ that mighty 
soon.” 

“ I ’ve got nothin’ to say agin your goin’ ; it ’s 
the extra work I ’m thinkin’ of, an’ there ’s no reason 
why Tim should n’t go with you, although it would 
only be for the sake of company, ’cause I don’t allow 
he ’d make any great fist at handlin’ a dory. But 
s’pose you should find your man there, you ’d need 
more ’n a lad if it came to a scrimmage, for I reckon 
you ’d count on bringin’ him aboard.'^ ” 

“ I ’ll agree to handle Bates if I find him, don’t 
you have any fear about that, an’ what ’s more, he ’ll 
come aboard. I ’d be ashamed to show my nose 


SABLE ISLAND, 


257 


among decent folks if I could n’t handle that cur ! ” 

‘‘ Have your own way, lad, though I misdoubt your 
findin’ him, for however willin’ he is to do us a mis- 
chief, it don’t stand to reason he ’d pull out from 
Sable Island to our trawls, an’ back each night. 
That would be payin’ too high a price for the 
dancin’.” 

“ It ’s the only place where he could find a hidin’ 
that we have n’t searched, an’ I ’m foolish enough to 
believe he must be there.” 

“ Then get below now, you an’ Tim, an’ eat your 
supper so ’s to be off as soon as possible.” 

Thus it was settled, much to the delight and sur- 
prise of One-one-four, that a visit should be made to 
that dreary sand-bar where only the light-keepers 
and life-savers dwelt, and if one could judge from the 
expression on the faces of the crew, all hands were 
well pleased to have Bob make the venture, for even the 
least superstitious among them would be more com- 
fortable in mind when it was known how Jerry Bates 
had succeeded in keeping himself hidden from view. 

Much and varied was the advice given by the 
crew, and particularly by Ezra Snow, while Bob 
and Tim were hurriedly eating supper. Each man 
seemed to think he had a plan, either for landing on 
the sand-bar or of searching for the mischief-maker, 
which was better than any that could be devised by 


258 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


another, but to all of them Ahearn turned a deaf 
ear, saying: 

“ It don’t make any difference how we figure 
it, ’cause things may not turn out as we ’re reckonin’. 
I ’m goin’ to land on Sable Island, even if I have to 
make the whole turn of the nor’east bar, but it 
should be possible to put a dory ashore there in such 
weather as this almost anywhere. It ain’t advice 
we ’re needin’, but it ’s grub ; an’ I ’m lookin’ to 
Abram to outfit us for thirty-six hours, ’cause there ’s 
a chance we ’ll be gone that long.” 

“ You shall have the best there is aboard,” Mr. 
Doak replied promptly, “ an’ I ’ve already begun to 
get it ready. Plenty of water in the dory.? ” 

“ It would be hard lines when a fisherman on Sable 
Island Bank made the mistake of leavin’ his dory- 
cask empty,” Bob said with a laugh, and, ten minutes 
later, followed by all his mates, he went on deck, 
Abram bringing up the rear with a bag of food which 
apparently contained sufficient to provide for the 
wants of half a dozen men during the proposed time 
of absence. 

Tim remained behind only long enough to say to 
Seth, as he patted him affectionately on the cheek: 

“ Now don’t get lonesome, nor don’t worry ’bout 
us. It ’s a mighty big shame you can’t come too, 
for I ’m countin’ it ’ll be the tallest kind of a time. 


SABLE ISLAND. 


259 


Just think of it, Seth! We ’re goin’ ashore on Sable 
Island, an’ Joe Barker says there ’s precious few 
of the oldest fishermen that ever did such a thing! 
I ’ll have somethin’ to tell about when I get home, 
eh?” 

“ I ’ll get along all right, Timmy. You need n’t 
fuss ’cause I can’t go with you. Perhaps I would n’t 
want to even if my leg was whole. I ain’t so much 
of a sailor as you are, an’ tumblin’ ’round in one of 
them little boats don’t seem like so very much fun.” 

“ Hello, Tim ! Get a move on if you ’re goin’ with 
me ! ” Bob Ahearn shouted from the deck, and One- 
one-four was forced to cut short his leave-taking. 

Then the dory was pulled northward, while Tim, 
sitting in the stern-sheets, tried hard to appear un- 
concerned, although he was literally puffed up with 
pride because* of having been selected as Aheam’s 
mate, and Bob cried to those on the deck who were 
watching him anxiously as if fearing he might meet 
with some sore disaster even at the outset: 

‘‘ Don’t let Ezra stuff you too full of signs, an’ 
try not to be seein’ any ghosts till we get back. I ’ll 
fetch Bates with me, or else allow he an’ old Nick 
have struck up a partnership.” 

Looking back, Tim could see that the men were 
making ready for the night’s work, and it was al- 
most like leaving home, to be pulling away from the 


260 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


Hylow as she lay there rising and falling gently on 
the lazy swell, as pretty a picture of marine archi- 
tecture as the most ardent sailor could wish to look at. 

“ She ’s a bird, ain’t she ” he said admiringly, 
and Bob laughed as he replied: 

“ I declare for it. One-one-four, there ’s more of 
the sailor to you than I allowed. You ’ll be a first- 
class fisherman in another season by keepin’ on as 
you ’ve begun.” 

“ Do you really think so. Bob ? ” 

“ Of course I do, else I would n’t say it. I ain’t 
a man what talks jest for the fun of the thing. I ’m 
willin’ to admit that you ’ve taken hold in good shape, 
an’ if this cruise had n’t been hoodooed you ’d be 
doin’ a man’s work by this time. What a shame it 
is that Cap’n Ben ever thought of takin’ on sich a 
sneak as Jerry Bates ! ” 

“ It looks like he was goin’ to spoil ever3rthin’, 
don’t it } ” 

“ Well, he ’s made a pretty good fist at it so far ; 
but if any of our crew ever get hold of him he won’t 
do more ’n walk a chalk-line for the rest of his life.” 

‘‘ S’pose you find him, what ’re you countin’ on 
doin’ ? ” 

“ That ’s what I can’t tell you, Timmy. I don’t 
know ’s I ’m stuck on heatin’ his life out, same ’s 
some of ’em are; but the main thing is to be able to 


SABLE ISLAND. 


261 


go back an’ tell the fellows where he ’s been hidin’ 
so they ’ll get this ghost business out of their minds. 
Howsomever, we won’t talk ’bout what we ’re 
countin’ on doin’, till we ’re sure it ’s possible to do 
it. We ’ve got a good ten-mile pull from here to the 
island, so it would n’t do a bit of harm for you to 
bottle up a little sleep. If you ’re countin’ on bein’ 
a fisherman, you ’ll have to gather in forty winks 
whenever there ’s a chance.” 

Tim could not have closed his eyes in slumber 
however weary he might have been. This sailing 
over the lazy waves in the night, searching for a run- 
away sailor, had so much of fascination in it to the 
lad that, as he said, he wanted to keep his eyes open 
every minute so he should n’t miss any of it. Then 
again, the fact that he was Bob Ahearn’s dory-mate 
for the time being, was sufficient to render him wake- 
ful, and he promised himself that when he was in the 
home-port once more, every lad of his acquaintance 
should be informed of the proud distinction which he 
had won. 

During this long time of labor at the oars Bob 
alternately sang and whistled some sea ditty, leaving 
One-one-four to his own pleasing thoughts, and 
thoroughly did the lad enjoy himself until they 
were come so near the island that it was possible to 
hear the beating of the surf upon the sands. 


262 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


‘‘Why don’t you land up by the light-house?” 
Tim asked. 

“ I ’ve heard it said that it was the least likely 
place on this side. I reckon we ’ll strike as near 
’midships as we can, an’ take the chances. You 
want to keep your eye peeled when we get close in, 
for it ain’t any two to one that we don’t get rolled 
over an’ over half a dozen times. I ain’t much of a 
duck at landin’ in the surf ; but I ’m willin’ to take 
the risk for the sake of clearin’ up what Ezra insists 
is sich a terrible mystery.” 

Tim could not force himself to be frightened at the 
prospect of being caught by the ground-swell, so 
enchanting was the idea of landing on a place where 
but few of the oldest Bankers had ever stepped, and 
it seemed quite a matter of course to him that Bob 
should be able to carry the dory in on the crest of a 
wave successfully. 

Then it was a case of leaping out and hauling her 
up beyond reach of the next wave, after which they 
were at liberty to pursue their search on this most 
desolate of islands. 

A narrow ridge of sand, curved in the shape of a 
new moon, is Sable Island, lying far out in the ocean 
surrounded by treacherous shoals. It is the most 
forlorn, uninviting place that can well be imagined; 
but to Tim it was a land of enchantment. 


SABLE ISLAND, 


263 


“ This is great ! ” he cried enthusiastically as he 
and Bob ploughed their way through the loose sand 
in the direction of the northeast light, whose tower 
rose black against the lighter sky, its lantern send- 
ing forth cheering rays as it had done night after 
night in the years that had passed, to warn mariners 
of the hidden dangers. 

“ Don’t you s’pose they saw us when we landed.? ” 
Tim asked, speaking in a whisper, for so overpower- 
ing was the sense of loneliness that it really seemed 
as if the sound of a human voice might bring upon 
them some terrible danger. 

“ Perhaps so ; but I reckon on a night like this, 
when there ’s no call for it, they won’t be keepin’ any 
very sharp lookout. Visitors must be few an’ 
far between on this ’ere island, an’ I ’m allowin’ 
that we ’ll give ’em considerable of a surprise, 
if so be they did n’t sight us when we came 
ashore.” 

Tim hoped fervently that they might be able to 
make their way to the very door of the tower without 
being observed, for he was eager to see how much of 
alarm would be shown by the keepers when strangers 
suddenly appeared before them. 

In this, however, he was disappointed, for while 
they were yet some distance from the tower a twink- 
ling light came dancing along toward them, and Bob 


264 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


said in a matter-of-fact tone, as One-one-four clasped 
him nervously by the arm: 

“ It ’s one of the life-savin’ crew makin’ his 
rounds, I reckon. Them fellows have to keep movin’ 
about jest so much on the lookout for trouble, , 
though they can’t be expectin’ a great deal to-night.” 

As the lantern came nearer it was possible to dis- 
tinguish in the gleam behind it the form of a man, 
but no note of surprise could be detected in his tone 
as he shouted cheerily: 

“ Ahoy ! Where are you bound ? ” 

“ He must have seen us when we landed,” Tim 
whispered in deepest disappointment. 

“ There ’s nothin’ wrong, matey. We ’re lookin’ 
for a man that might have come ashore here yester- 
day, or the day before,” Bob replied as a man with 
bushy black whiskers, and shoulders stooped as if he 
had been halibuting all his life, held the lantern so 
that he might be seen. 

“ There ’s been nobody land here to my know- 
ledge since the light-house tender came last month, 
an’ even then the inspector did n’t allow he ’d better 
take the chances of runnin’ in through the surf. Lost 
one of your mates ? ” 

“ Well, I can’t say whether we ’ve lost him, or if 
he ’s lost hisself. He ’s missin’ from the crew, an’ 
has been doin’ a lot of mischief in the way of cuttin’ 


SABLE ISLAND. 


265 


trawls. We ’ve searched everywhere among the 
fleet, an’ it ’s claimed that nobody knows anythin’ 
’bout him, so we made up our minds he must be here, 
seein’ ’s there ’s no other place for him to go.” 

“ He is n’t on this island, that I can swear, for 
I ’ve made the rounds six times since yesterday 
mornin’. Tell me how he happened to leave you? 
If so be you ’re willin’, you ’d better come into the 
tower, where all hands will be glad to give you a wel- 
come, for visitors ain’t frequent hereabout.” 

“ There ’s no reason why I should n’t spin the 
yarn ; but I don’t know as I ’ve got any warrant 
for spendin’ more time ashore than is necessary, 
seein’ ’s how we ’re bound to get back as soon as may 
be,” Bob replied, and even while partially declining 
the invitation, he accepted it by following the life- 
saver, for he could understand very well how eager 
the men on this lonely strip of sand would be to see a 
stranger. 

It was a veritable fairy-land to Tim, that circular 
room fitted up much like the cabin of a ship, and 
having a certain homely air which must have been in- 
tensified when the wind was howling outside, and the 
white-crested waves leaping like tigers against the 
base of the structure. 

A hearty welcome did these lonely dwellers on the 
island, whose only mission was to save lives, give Bob 


266 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


and Tim, and while Ahearn told the story of what 
Bates had done since he came aboard the Hylow, the 
inmates of the light-house set out food and coffee 
for the refreshment of their guests. 

“ I ’m not wonderin’ your crew is a bit mixed up,” 
one of the men said when Bob had come to an end of 
his story. “ I ain’t given to bein’ superstitious, 
even though I do spend my time down here where a 
fellow has a good chance for all sich outlandish fan- 
cies ; but I ’d feel a bit squirmy myself to have a mate 
disappear in such a way, an’ know by the mischief 
bein’ done that he was hangin’ ’round somewhere. 
He ’ll get a tough reception if he lands here. Glad 
as we are to see a visitor now an’ then, we draw the 
line at trawl-cutters.” 

‘‘ Are you feelin’ reasonably certain he ain’t aboard 
some of the other vessels ” another of the men asked, 
and Bob told of what had been done in the way of a 
search, saying in conclusion : 

‘‘ It don’t seem possible that there ’s a skipper in 
the fleet who ’d take sich a villain, knowin’ what he ’s 
up to, an’ we ’ve passed the story ’round to every 
craft. But of course that ’s where he must be, since 
he ain’t here, yet it ’s pretty hard to believe it, for a 
vessel don’t come this way without a full crew, an’ 
it ’s little a cap’n could gain by takin’ on a spare 
man.” 


SABLE ISLAND. 


267 


Then, wearied with the subject, and gravely dis- 
appointed because no result was to be had from the 
visit. Bob turned to that member of the party who 
appeared to be in command: 

‘‘Ain’t it killin’ lonesome down here?” 

“ Well, there are times when it gets a bit that way, 
say from October till May, when you can’t put a 
boat out, an’ there ’s no chance of even speakin’ the 
light-house tender. I ’ve known the inspector to 
come here as many as eight times without bein’ able 
to send so much as a newspaper ashore. Then ’s 
when we kind er get a hankerin’ for a strange face,” 
the keeper replied. “ But bless you, we soon get 
used to that sort of thing. There ’s twelve of us 
here, all told, an’ we don’t have so many spare min- 
utes in the day, what with reg’lar duties, an’ workin’ 
for ourselves.” 

“ I should think it ’d be worse than a jail,” Bob 
said with an involuntary shudder. 

“ Now that ’s where you make a mistake, matey. 
In jail a man don’t have anythin’ to do but breathe. 
Here we have lots to look after, ’cordin’ to the reger- 
lations, an’ it takes up a good part of the forenoon. 
Then there ’s always some tinkerin’ to be done 
’round the buildins an’ on the boats, an’ a man has 
in his mind all the while the reason for bein’ here. 
We can’t figure how many lives are saved every year 


268 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


by our havin’ these lights bumin’ shipshape, but 
we do know we ’re of some good in this world. 
There ’s of course, once in a while, a cap’n that ’ll get 
reckless ; comes too far in when this ’ere bar is a lee- 
shore, an’ then we have our work cut out for us. I 
can count two hundred an’ seventy-one wrecks with 
the timbers still showin’ here an’ there above the 
sand; but a good many of ’em struck here before 
these lights were built. I ’m allowin’ that if some- 
body like us did n’t stay here to show you fishermen 
the shoal waters on Sable Island Bank, by this time 
you could n’t put your foot down without strikin’ 
what ’s left of some good craft. Of course it ’s lonely 
at times, but bless your hearts, that ’s why the gov- 
ernment don’t take on any but single men at sich 
jobs as this. We ’ve made up our minds to stay 
here, believin’ we ’re havin’ some little part in the 
world even though we ’re so far away.” 

Then one man after another told of this wreck or 
of that which he had seen, Tim drinking in eagerly 
every word, until Bob suddenly sprang to his feet as 
he exclaimed: 

“ I ’m blest if I had n’t forgot that there was sich 
a craft as the Hylow ever launched ! Get a move on, 
Tim, old man, or Cap’n Ben ’ll give us a dressin’ 
down for sogerin’.” 

If the dwellers on that lonely sand-bar could have 


SABLE ISLAND. 


269 


had their will, the visitors would have remained many 
days ; but, understanding why Bob should return, 
they showed their hospitality by “ speeding the part- 
ing guest.” 

There was real danger, for a man not accustomed 
to the surf, to launch a dory there, even though the 
sea was mild, as on this night; but, thanks to the 
life-savers and the light-keepers, the embarkation was 
accomplished in a most satisfactory manner. 

Bob and Tim took their seats in the boat, with two 
of the men on either side holding her steady as the 
largest of a series of waves came rolling up with a 
hissing roar, and then she was dexterously shoved 
back with the undertow, when half a dozen strokes 
of the oars sent her out into deep water, all danger 
passed. 

“ Good-bye ! I ’d like mighty well to come an’ 
stay all summer ! ” Tim shouted, standing up in the 
stern-sheets that the hospitable party might see him 
more plainly. 

“ Good-bye ! We ’d like to have you ! Come 
ashore if you get another chance, an’ we ’ll try to 
make things pleasant for yer ! ” 

Then communication between Sable Island and the 
dory was broken off, as Bob buckled down to the oars, 
and Tim said as he snuggled himself in the stern- 
sheets ; 


270 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


“ This is what I call havin’ a good time, an’ say, 
perhaps it won’t be anythin’ to tell about when we get 
home ! I ’ll fill Mike so full of what we did to-night 
that he ’ll jest about bust hisself ’cause he was n’t 
here.” 

“ If I ever catch Mike tossin’ his head towards a 
fisherman’s life I ’ll make things warm for him.” 

“ Why ? ” Tim asked in surprise. “ Do you think 
a fellow could do anythin’ better ? ” 

“ Better ! ” Bob echoed. “ Could he do anythin’ 
worse, lad.?^ Riskin’ his life day in an’ day out for 
the few dollars that ’s cornin’ to him at the end of the 
cruise! I ain’t talkin’ ’bout a trip like this, though 
a man is takin’ chances enough even now; but of 
layin’ off here in the winter, fishin’ one day an’ fightin’ 
the wind an’ sea the next five, for the privilege of 
cornin’ back an’ tryin’ it agin; settin’ trawls off an’ 
on, droppin’ a line when you can, an’ sogerin’ when 
you can’t do anythin’ else. Why, a berth aboard a 
fisherman is a fool’s job ’longside of any other kind 
of work a man can do ! ” 

“ But why do you stick to it, if you think it ’s so 
bad.? ” 

“ I ’ll tell you, Timmy. It ’s that I ain’t fit for 
much of anythin’ else. I was a good deal sich a kid 
as you are, thinkin’ there was nothin’ in the world 
to go ahead of fishin’? an’ I ’tended out on school 


SABLE ISLAND. 


271 


’bout as you ’ve done, with the consequence that I ’ve 
got to hold to this business ’cause nobody wants me 
at anythin’ else. Take my advice, lad. When you 
get home store up as much education as you can, so ’s 
you may hold your head among the best of ’em, an’ 
not have it said you did n’t know enough to do any- 
thin’ but go fishin’.” 


\ 


CHAPTER XV. 
seth’s dream. 

Seth had promised that he would not be lonely 
while Tim was visiting Sable Island, and yet he knew 
full well that he could not keep his word. He was, so 
far as the crew of the Hylow could see, bearing up 
bravely under his confinement, which must have been 
irksome, to say the least. For a boy to remain in one 
position and one place day in and day out is hard, 
exceedingly hard, and when he does this without mur- 
muring, those around him say he is brave. 

Therefore was Seth brave; but his shipmates did 
not know of the many times when he turned his head 
on the blanket-pillow so that his tears might not be 
seen. Nor could they realize how often he had 
striven unsuccessfully against the pain in his heart 
and the longing for home and for mother. 

More than once did Abram Doak tell this or the 
other member of the crew that Seth had “ a heap of 
sand for a boy of his age,” and because he apparently 
bore his troubles with a smiling face, every man 
aboard the Hylow did what little he could toward 
cheering him. 


272 


SETWS BREAM. 


273 


On this night, when Tim went away with Bob, 
Abram was summoned from the cuddy to Ahearn’s 
place in the work of dressing down, and therefore 
during some hours the crippled lad was left en- 
tirely alone. As a matter of course he slept during 
a portion of the time ; yet it was not that sleep which 
comes from exhaustion induced by manual labor, 
sound and refreshing, but broken and feverish. 

Shortly after midnight the lad was awakened by 
the coming of those who had been dressing down, the 
work being finished, and during ten minutes or more 
he listened to the jests or the discussions as to 
whether Bob would be successful, or answered many 
questions concerning his own welfare. 

Then the tired men sought the repose they needed, 
and all was silent on board the schooner, for while 
the weather remained fine it was not thought neces- 
sary to have a watch on deck during the few hours 
remaining before another day would come. 

Seth lay there listening to the uneasy slumber of 
the men, himself made more wakeful by it, but the 
gentle rise and fall of the schooner was in a certain 
degree soothing, therefore perhaps one might say 
he was partially unconscious even while yet remain- 
ing awake. 

In this dreamy condition the lad fancied he saw 
some one come softly down the companion-stairs. 


274 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


As a matter of course he gave little or no heed to 
it, save that he might have wondered who the visi- 
tor was; but if he had been able to question himself 
regarding the matter, would have said without hesi- 
tation that some member of the crew from the after- 
cabin had come for a mug of coffee, for by this time 
Seth knew that fishermen drank coffee in season and 
out, without regard to quantity. 

The new-comer was exceedingly cautious in his 
movements, but, of course, that was in order that he 
might not awaken his mates. He opened the pro- 
vision-locker carefully, and then came that which 
seemed a bit strange to the half-sleeping boy. The 
man was taking out of the locker what appeared to 
be a large quantity of food, and putting it in a bag, 
instead of eating it then and there. This done the 
visitor stole softly up the companion again, and Seth, 
by moving his head ever so slightly, could see the re- 
treating form going aft. 

The crippled lad gave very little heed to this oc- 
currence, save that he dimly wondered why a bag 
was used to carry the food to the cabin, and then he 
fell asleep. When next he awakened there was a 
doubt in his mind as to whether there had really 
been a visitor in the cuddy, or if he dreamed it, and 
before morning the matter had nearly passed from 
his mind. 


SETH'S DREAM, 


275 


Half an hour after daybreak, while Abram was 
frying cods’ tongues and sounds, filling the little 
cuddy with dense fumes of smoke, a voice from the 
deck shouted: 

“ Here comes Bob, an’ unless Jerry Bates is in the 
bottom of the boat, Ahearn has had his pull to Sable 
Island an’ back for nothin’ ! ” 

“ Of course he ’d be in the bottom of the dory,’^ 
Abram said, speaking to no one in particular as he 
attended to the duties of cooking the largest amount 
of food in the shortest possible space of time. ‘‘ Do 
you ’spose Bob Ahearn ’d be fool enough to let the 
trawl-cutter take his ease in the stern-sheets? We ’ll 
have the pleasure of overhaulin’ him in proper shape 
before long, for it stands to reason they found him 
on the island.” 

If Mr. Doak had not been so occupied with his 
duties as cook he might have gone on deck to make 
ready for the reception of the supposed prisoner, but 
at such a time in the morning he could not well leave 
the cuddy, therefore no one save Seth saw the bitter 
disappointment written on Abram’s face when the 
second cry was heard: 

They ’re cornin’ as they went, alone, an’ since 
Bob Ahearn has had a hand in the search, you can 
set it down as a fact that Jerry Bates is not on Sable 
Island ! ” 


276 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


‘‘Well, I’ll be jiggered!” Abram exclaimed, and 
in his excitement he let fall the pan of corn-bread 
which he was just taking from the oven. “ If this 
’ere crew has n’t got a black eye then I ’m no judge! 
There ’s nothin’ but a little dust on this bread, an’ 
so long as the men don’t know it, it won’t do ’em any 
harm, ” he added as he brushed the top of the loaf 
with a not over-cleanly whisk-broom. “ I ’m be- 
ginnin’ to believe there ’s more in signs than the 
cap’n ’ll allow, though it does seem kind of a puzzle 
how Jim Sullivan’s biddin’ Ezra good-bye on shore 
could work all this ’ere mischief.” 

“You don’t believe it did, do you.^” Seth asked 
with a laugh. 

“ Well, I did n’t, lad, up to this minute ; but now 
I ’m beginnin’ to have my suspicions, an’ there ’s 
more ’n me aboard who ’ll feel kind er shaky after 
it ’s known that Jerry Bates ain’t hidin’ somewhere 
in the fleet or on the island. I tell you, Seth, it be- 
gins to look skeery ! ” 

“ He ’s on one of the other vessels, that ’s where he 
is, of course, ’cause he ’s bound to be somewhere,” 
Seth said emphatically. 

“ That ’s the way it ’d seem, I ’m free to admit, but 
on the other hand, I ’ve yet to hear of the master of 
a fisherman who ’d harbor a trawl-cutter while he ’s 
at his work. Lad, it ’s my opinion that we ’d all of 


SETWS DREAM. 


us make money in the long run if we put back to 
Portland, an’ started all over agin. I ’ll go so far as 
to say that it ’d pay us to dump overboard what fish 
we ’ve got, so ’s to show that we did n’t really count 
on makin’ a cruise.” 

The uproar which could be heard from the deck 
told that those who had visited Sable Island were re- 
turned, and Abram, regardless of the food on the 
stove which needed his immediate attention, ran up 
the companion-way eagerly. 

Bob’s story had already been told, and, as is known, 
it was a short one. 

‘‘ He ain’t there ; that much I can swear to.” 

“ Did you search every inch of that blessed sand- 
bar.?” Reuben Hardy cried, and Bob was forced to 
admit that he had not. 

‘‘ What was the use.? ” he asked. ‘‘We met one of 
the life-savers, an’ went into the light-house. They 
could take their ’davy’s there had n’t been anybody 
there since the tender came out last, an’ seein’ ’s how 
they ’re obliged to make the rounds every two hours, 
it stands to reason all hands knew what they was 
talkin’ about.” 

“All the same Bates might have been there, an’ they 
was tryin’ to hide him,” Hardy added, unwilling to 
believe it was impossible to learn the whereabouts of 
the mischief-maker. 


278 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


“ Yes, he may be sailin’ ’round somewhere up in 
the clouds on a pair of wings, but he ain’t,” Bob 
cried, now growing angry. “ You know as well as I 
do, Reuben, that them fellows wouldn’t lie to us, 
’specially about such a thing as Jerry Bates.” 

“ I vote that we up anchor an’ make for home,” 
Ezra said, speaking so that all might hear him. 
“ The cruise is hoodooed, an’ there ain’t a livin’ show 
of our gettin’ a full fare till we ’ve made port agin.” 

“ If I hear any more such talk as that I ’ll break 
my word by runnin’ into Halifax an’ landin’ him as 
makes it ! ” and Captain Ben suddenly appeared 
through the after companion-way. “ Turned babies 
agin, have yer, ’cause you can’t get a sight of Jerry 
Bates ? Who ’s runnin’ this ’ere schooner, you or 
me, Ezra Snow.? You’ve spent your whole life 
huntin’ down signs an’ omens, an’ findin’ out about 
this thing or that, an’ what ’s come of it ? When 
you stepped aboard the Hylow you had n’t one dollar 
to rub agin another, an’ why.? ’Cause, instead of 
’tendin’ to your work, you ’re try in’ to find out what 
is in the future, which no man can do, an’ lucky for 
him he can’t. I was willin’ to bear with your foolish- 
ness a while, thinkin’ you ’d get talked out, an’ come 
to understand what an idjut you was. Now I’m 
sayin’ we ’re here for fish an’ nothin’ more, an’ fish 
we ’re goin’ to have if I put every bloomin’ man 


SETH'S DREAM, 


279 


ashore an’ take ’em myself ! You can’t accuse me of 
bein’ other ’n a skipper who ’s always looked after his 
men, an’ been friendly with ’em ; but I ’ve done with 
that for the rest of this cruise. Now I ’ll show you 
what drivin’ means — give you a taste of the Glouces- 
terman’s way, an’ drive, drive, drive from mornin’ 
till night, an’ on to mornin’ agin ! ” 

There were very few aboard the Hylow who had 
ever seen Captain Ben so angry as he was at that 
moment, and never one ventured to make reply. The 
men of the first half went below sheepishly, and those 
who remained on deck took good care not to hold con- 
versation within range of the cuddy-companion, from 
which the captain might see them. 

Bob Ahearn, however, made no hesitation about 
airing his vews, for they were such as would have 
been approved of by the captain. 

“ I said I ’d find him, an’ have n’t done it. Now if 
we can’t keep our trawls down in any other way than 
by watchin’, let ’s watch ’em, an’ not get scared 
’cause of what we can’t see. I ’ve come to believe 
that there ’s a skipper in yonder fleet who has taken 
Bates aboard, for of course that ’s the only natural 
conclusion, an’ if we keep our eyes peeled we ’ll nab 
him — hello, what ’s the Sadie Lawrence gettin’ under 
way for ? ” 

The vessel to which Bob thus attracted attention 


280 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


was well known among the Portland fleet, and often 
succeeded in bearing off the honors from Captain Ben 
Willard by getting the first cargo. She had left 
port two weeks before the Hylow, and fished down 
along the Georges before coming off Sable Island, 
therefore the fact of her being under way told that 
her hold had been filled. 

“ They have n’t had anybody ’round cuttin’ their 
trawls, that ’s why they ’ve got a full fare,” Ezra 
Snow said enviously, and then bethinking himself of 
the opportunity which offered, he shouted down the 
cuddy-companion : 

“Below there! Any letters for home.^ Here’s 
the Sadie Lawrence makin’ ready to leave us 1 ” 

“Where’s the one I wrote Tim cried, running 
below and coming up a moment later with the result 
of his own and Mr. Doak’s efforts at imparting 
information. 

One-one-four watched the Sadie Lawrence as she 
filled away, making a wide circle in order to come 
down past all the fleet, and he understood, as dory 
after dory put out from the different vessels, that 
this was the way the home-returning fishermen gath- 
ered the mail. 

It was Reuben Hardy who took Tim’s letters, with 
half a dozen others from the various members of the 
crew, and tied them together on a belaying pin that 


SETWS DREAM, 


281 


they might be tossed aboard the oncoming vessel 
readily. Tim watched with no little interest until 
he saw one of the Sadie Lawrence's men pick up the 
missives as they fell on the deck forward, and carry 
them aft. 

‘‘ How long will it be before she gets to Port- 
land } ” the lad asked of the man nearest him. 

‘‘ Well, if she don’t have any more of a breeze than 
this, it ’ll be quite a spell ; but with any kind of a 
wind she ought’er do it in two or three days.” 

‘‘ Then my mother ’ll know jest how it was I came 
away,” he said to himself, “ an’ I ’ll be a pretty good 
kind of a fisherman by the time she sees me agin. 
Bob tries to make out that it ’s a mean business ; but 
if it was, how is it that everybody thinks so much of 
Cap’n Ben.? I ain’t goin’ into it jest for the sake of 
gettin’ money to spend foolishly ; but I ’ll buy a ves- 
sel some day as good as this one, an’ run her myself.” 

Then One-one-four followed the second half to 
breakfast, and very shortly afterward the crew of the 
Hylow, not daring to brave the captain’s wrath by 
speaking of Jerry Bates, went away in the dories to 
begin the day’s work, leaving Mr. Doak arid the two 
lads to keep ship as before. 

After One-one-four had talked with his crippled 
mate, cheering him to the best of his ability, and 
aided Mr. Doak in his culinary operations, there was 


^ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


absolutely nothing more he could do. Much to his 
surprise time began to drag. He had never before 
believed it possible there could be a dull moment for 
a fisherman. 

“ It strikes me, if I was a lad who ’d been callin’ 
on the folks at Sable Island all night, an’ jest come 
aboard, so to speak, I ’d lie down an’ try to make up 
some of the sleep I ’d lost,” Mr. Doak said as he ob- 
served Tim’s restlessness. “ I ’m allowin’ that you ’ll 
be called on to do your share of the work at dressin’ 
down after sunset, an’ there ’s some knives to be 
ground before then.” 

“ Perhaps that ’s what ’s the matter with me ; I 
ought’er go to sleep,” Tim said, and straightway lay 
down in the bunk opposite Seth’s, intending to con- 
verse with his friend until the desire for slumber 
should come upon him, but before he had time even 
to think of a subject he was wafted into dreamland, 
not to be called therefrom until a loud voice from the 
deck brought him to his feet. 

It was the captain of the galley, who had awakened 
him by shouting evidently in answer to a hail from 
out-board : 

“ Ahoy in the dory ! What ’s wanted ? ” 

‘‘ Have you lost a boat from this ’ere schooner ” 

Tim was on deck in a twinkling, and saw, lying 
close alongside, a dory in which were two men who 


SETWS DREAM. 


283 


had evidently been running trawls and were return- 
ing to their own schooner, for the craft was nearly 
filled with fish. 

“ What ’s that ? ” Abram cried excitedly. “ Lost 
a boat.? Well if you’ve found one that’s got the 
meanest kind of a sneak in it, we have. We shipped 
a man by the name of Bates, who was the toughest 
specimen of a banker I ever saw, an’ after raising cain 
generally he lit out with one of the dories. We ’re 
lookin’ for him a good deal harder than we are for 
the boat, seein’ ’s how he ’s been cuttin’ our trawls for 
the last two or three nights.” 

“We have n’t got any man belongin’ to your 
schooner; but there was a dory drifted alongside the 
other night, an’ when your cap’n was ’round we for- 
got to tell him ’bout it. We ’re the Susan Curtis, 
fourth schooner yonder to the west’ard.” 

“What color was the dory painted?” 

“ Yellow with a green gunnel, an’ a red band in- 
side, just like the one that ’s made fast astern here.” 

“ That ’s our dory,” Abram said as he rubbed his 
chin reflectively. “ I ain’t allowin’ as any other 
fisherman in the fleet paints the same colors. Say 
Tim,” he exclaimed, turning toward the lad who was 
just coming from the companion, “ that ’ere boat 
they talk about must have been the one Bates went 
off in.” 


284 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


“ You know we did n’t find the dory that was up- 
set,” Tim suggested, and Abram turned quickly to 
the rail once more. 

“ Say, was the dory you found floatin’ right 
side up ? ” 

“ Yes; had two oars an’ a couple of gaffs in her.” 

“ Then she can’t be the one we upset. It ’s no use 
talkin’ ; she ’s bound to be the boat Bates stole.” 

“ If you want her, she ’s moored astern the Susan, 
an’ you can take her any time,” the stranger said, 
evidently disappointed because his efforts to restore 
lost property had not been met with any show of 
gratitude, whereupon Mr. Doak remembered his du- 
ties as host. 

“ You kind er mixed me up, matey, with what you 
said about the dory, ’cause we ’ve been in a terrible 
stew since Bates got away, not knowin’ where he was 
hidin’. Come aboard an’ mug-up, will yer? The 
cap’n ’ll thank you for the word you ’ve brought, 
though I do wish you ’d said that sneak of a Jerry 
Bates was found doubled up inside of her, for we ’re 
achin’ terrible bad to get our hands on him.” 

“ Yes, we knew you must be havin’ some kind of a 
row, seein’ ’s how you sent twice among the fleet to 
ask after him,” the man said, speaking in a more 
friendly tone as he swung the dory around in order 
to accept the invitation, and five minutes later the 


SETHIS DREAM, 


285 


visitors were seated comfortably in the cuddy, each 
with a mug of steaming coffee in his hand and a gen- 
erous supply of fried pies on the table in front of 
him. 

“ What does that mate of yours count on gainin’ 
by cuttin’ trawls ? ” one of the visitors asked curi- 
ously, and Abram replied with no slight show of 
irritation : 

That ’s what ’s puzzlin’ us ; but the heft of our 
trouble is to know where the villain is hidin’. You 
see we ’ve got aboard two or three that are mighty 
superstitious, an’ they catch on every little thing to 
prove that we ought ’er put into port so ’s to start 
over agin. This man Bates began to make hisself 
disagreeable before we was outside the Cape, an’ he ’s 
kept at it ever since, till he run away. Come pretty 
nigh drownin’ this boy,” and Mr. Doak motioned 
with his thumb toward Tim. “ Was the means of the 
fellow in the bunk gettin’ his leg broken, to say nothin’ 
of scaldin’ my arm pretty nigh clean to the bone. 
Then the cap’n took a hand in the matter, an’ lo an’ 
behold Bates ain’t here. Now the only thing that ’ll 
quiet down our crew, so ’s they can ’tend to work, 
is the findin’ of the scoundrel.” 

Then Abram told of Bob’s visit to Sable Island, 
and of the search which had been made among the 
fleet, asking in conclusion: 


286 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


“ Now what do you make of it? ” 

“ It ’s a bloomin’ riddle, that ’s what it is,” one of 
the visitors said with an ominous shake of the head. 
“ I ’m mighty glad there ’s no such carryin’s on 
aboard the Susan, for, while I ain’t what you might 
call a superstitious man, I don’t think I could stand 
any sich funny business. What’s become of him?” 

“ Now see here, matey, that ’s a question that 
ought n’t be asked aboard this craft agin. From 
mornin’ till night, an’ from night till mornin’, it ’s all 
you can hear till I ’m that sick of the words I don’t 
dare to stick my head out of the companion-way, 
fearin’ I ’ll get ’em slung at me.” 

“ It ’s worse ’n a fog,” the second visitor said 
calmly, and then, emptying his mug, he went on deck 
followed by his companion. Abram pressed them to 
stay, for on this afternoon he was much like the 
dwellers on Sable Island, eager to entertain guests; 
but with a dory-load of fish alongside and more trawls 
yet to be run, it was hardly expected the visitors 
could remain longer. 

When they had gone over the rail and were pulling 
leisurely in the direction of their vessel, Mr. Doak 
leaned against the fore-rigging, as if in view of all 
that had just passed he was in need of some support, 
and said in a sepulchral tone as he shook one soiled 
fore-finger in Tim’s face: 


SETH'S DREAM. 


287 


“ I ’ll tell you what it is, One-one-four, that ’ere 
Jerry Bates has gone an’ drowned hisself jest to 
spite us.” 

“ I don’t see how he could spite us very much doin’ 
that, do you ? ” 

“ Don’t, eh? Well, jest look at it. He’s cut the 
trawls an’ kept out of our way till he saw we was goin’ 
to find him, an’ plunk he goes over the gunnel, 
countin’ we would n’t know he ’d took his worthless 
life till we ’d fretted ourselves clean down to the bone. 
His plan did n’t work though, ’cause now we know 
where the dory is, an’ it don’t take a very sharp- 
witted man to tell where he is. I reckon Ezra ’ll be 
relieved when he hears all this.” 

Then Mr. Doak went below, and Tim followed to 
ask if there was anything he could do to help him. 

I reckon not, lad. I did a good bit of cookin’ 
yesterday, an’ if this ’ere crew can eat all the dough- 
nuts I fried, inside of twenty-four hours, I ’ll call 
’em gluttons right to their faces. See here,” and 
Mr. Doak opened the locker in which he had stored 
the greasy dainties. 

His chin dropped as he looked inside, and Tim 
would have had time to count no less than thirty 
before he spoke. Then it was he exclaimed in a 
tone of mingled bewilderment and anger: 

“Well, I’ll be teetotally jiggered!” 


288 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


“What’s the matter? What’s gone wrong 
now f ” 

“ Look in that ’ere locker ! It was so full of 
doughnuts last night that I had to jam ’em down 
before I could shut the lid. There ain’t any need of 
doin’ much jammin’ now, eh? I ’d like to know what 
gormandizer ’s been ’round here ? Why, say, Tim, 
there ain’t enough men aboard this schooner to 
have eat them doughnuts since last night, an’ all hand 
of ’em was on deck dressin’ down at that ! Well, I ’m 
a sinner if that ain’t the most s’prisin’ thing I ever 
come across ! ” 

“ Perhaps it was rats,” Tim suggested. 

“ Rats ! I ’d like to know where you ’d get ’em, 
the Hylow not off the ways more ’n four weeks ! You 
don’t allow we took a cargo aboard before startin’ 
for fear of gettin’ lonesome, do yer? Rats aboard 
a new schooner, an’ the only time she laid at the dock 
was a couple of days while we was tied up at Custom- 
house wharf. Besides, how could rats get in the 
locker where there ain’t any hole ? ” 

“ Some of the men has eaten them, of course,” and 
Tim did not think there was anything so very curi- 
ous about the matter. 

“ But I tell you, lad, it could n’t been done if 
they ’d set right here crowdin’ ’em in all night. I 
had doughnuts enough to keep this ’ere crew eatin’ 


SETWS DREAM. 


289 


for twenty-four hours, if they had n’t done anythin’ 
else, an’ more ’n half of ’em is gone.” 

“ Well it ’s sure pop I did n’t touch ’em,” One- 
one-four said carelessly, and then Seth, remembering 
what was perhaps a dream, told Mr. Doak that which 
he fancied he saw during the night. 

“ That was when we was dressin’ down, eh? ” 

‘‘ No, sir, all hands had turned in. I could hear 
’em snorin’.” 

“ Then it was some glutton that bunks in the cabin, 
an’ now ’s my chance to find out who he is.” 

Mr. Doak went hurriedly aft, returning ten min- 
utes later with a look of blank dismay upon his face. 

“ There ain’t a blessed doughnut there, for I ’ve 
searched every bunk an’ bag ! I tell you what it was, 
lad, you dreamed it, although it ’s kind er funny you 
should dream a thing an’ then have it come true, 
was n’t it? I declare I ’m gettin’ as bad as Ezra, an’ 
it won’t take but one or two things more like this to 
turn my hair white. Somethin’ ’s wrong about the 
HyloWi an’ this is her first cruise ! I would n’t ship 
in her agin, not if I had the best lay any man ever 
heard of. I ’ve got enough of this business ! ” and 
Mr. Doak went on deck, where he fell to pacing to 
and fro as if in a brown study, until the first of the 
Hylow's dories returned with indisputable proof that 
the fishing yet remained good. 


290 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


« We ’ve found Jerry Bates ! ” Mr. Doak an- 
nounced in a triumphant tone, and the dorymen, ris- 
ing to their feet, shouted wildly to their mates who 
were astern: 

‘‘ Abram ’s found Jerry Bates ! Abram ’s found 
Jerry Bates ! ” 

The cry rang from one boat to another, and Tim 
could see that all the crews were making strenuous 
efforts at speed that they might the sooner hear how 
the wonderful deed had been performed. 

“ Where is he } ” the doryman who had first passed 
along the welcome news asked anxiously, hooking on 
his boat, but making no effort to discharge the cargo 
until he should have learned all the details. 

“ Drownded ! ” Abram replied solemnly/ 

“ When did it happen ? ” 

“ Night before last, most likely, for they ’ve got 
the dory down to the Susan Curtis, an’ she was right 
side up with the oars in her, so he must have jest 
jumped out.” 

“ How did they find his body ? ” 

“Find it? Why they haven’t, of course.” 

“ Then how do you know he ’s drownded ? ” 

“ Ain’t I telhn’ you the dory ’s down to the Susan 
Curtis ? ” 

“ Is that all you know about it, you bloomin’ 
drivler of a cook, an’ me hurryin’ up the lads by 


SETWS DREAM. 


291 


tellin’ ’em he was found? I’ll get my head broke 
when they come aboard.” 

“ If he ain’t drownded, where is he ? ” Abram asked 
sharply, and as the doryman threw a fish at the cook’s 
head with such accuracy of aim that Mr. Doak was 
knocked headlong into the cuddy, he shouted 
fiercely : 

“ I ’ve got tired of that riddle, an’ if you ever ask 
me agin where Jerry Bates is, you ’ll get a whole 
dory-load ! ” 


CHAPTER XVI. 


A MISHAP. 

The information which had been brought regard- 
ing the dory supposed to have been carried oif by 
Jerry Bates afforded the crew of the Hylow great 
relief of mind. The fact that the boat had been 
picked up adrift seemed fairly good evidence Mr. 
Bates had either voluntarily abandoned her, or ended 
his life by going overboard. There were but few 
who believed this last might have occurred, and 
among those who felt convinced the sulky fisherman 
yet remained in the land of the living was Bob 
Ahearn. 

“ I tell you he ’s too mean to kill hisself ! A sneak 
who ’d be willin’ to do what he ’s done would n’t be 
generous enough to get out of the way so easy. I 
believe I ’ve figured it all out, an’ can come mighty 
nigh to tellin’ what has happened.” 

“ Got it all shaped up, same as when you decided 
he was on Sable Island,” Ezra said sarcastically. 

“ My makin’ a miss of it then only goes to help 
prove that this last guess is nearer right. Of course 

we know he ’s here somewhere, an’ if he did n’t drown 
292 


A MISHAP. 


293 


hisself, then I ’m allowin’ he ’s on board some vessel 
of the fleet without the connivance of the crew. It 
could be done, you know,” he added earnestly. ‘‘ Now 
stop to think! S’pose some mean skunk of a fisher- 
man had left one of them vessels same as Bates left 
the Hylow. Could n’t he sneak aboard here in the 
night, durin’ this calm weather, without our knowin’ 
it, an’ stow hisself in the hold.? Of course he could! 
Bates is in one of these schooners nearabouts, unless 
he might have been lucky enough to hit on the Sadie 
Lawrence as a hiding-place, an’ is now bound for 
Portland.” 

“ What about his dory goin’ adrift.? ” 

“ Why, he could n’t have made her fast alongside, 
or she ’d have been a dead giveaway, of course.” 

“ Well, allowin’ your fig’rin’ is nearer right than it 
was when you hit on Sable Island, jest tell me how 
he could come out whenever he pleased, to cut 
trawls.?” Ezra asked with a certain note of triumph 
in his tone, believing he had upset Bob’s reckoning, 
as indeed he had. 

“ I ’ll agree that ’s a sticker ! ” Ahearn replied rue- 
fully ; ‘‘ but even now I won’t agree that he ’s drowned 
hisself.” 

Captain Ben cut short what promised to be a heated 
discussion, by ordering the first half to table, and as 
soon as might be thereafter — for the skipper of the 


294s 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


Hylow did not intend his men should waste any time 
while in their present condition of mind — the crew 
were at work again, having remarkably good luck in 
the way of the catch. 

On this afternoon Mr. Doak was forced to remain 
below in order to replenish the stock of doughnuts 
which had so suddenly disappeared, and Tim, rather 
than remain idle, set about dressing down alone, the 
cook coming on deck now and then to give him valu- 
able hints as to how the work ought to be done. 

It was on one of these advisory visits that Mr. Doak 
said, as he paused a second and scanned the horizon: 

“ It does beat all how this weather hangs on ! I 
can’t say as I ever saw so long a spell on this ’ere 
bank. Gen’rally we get a day or two, an’ then it ’s 
cut an’ run for two or three days more; but here 
we ’ve had it right straight along, with no show of 
a break-up. It ’ll come mighty soon though, an’ will 
be a snifter when we do get it. Puttin’ aside all the 
mischief Bates has done us, we ’ve got along fast con- 
siderin’, an’ Ezra ’ll have hard work to make out 
that Jim Sullivan brought bad luck to the schooner, 
though of course some of the crew, meanin’ Seth 
an’ you, have had it pretty rough.” 

One-one-four was still busily engaged cleaning 
fish when, at the close of the afternoon, the dories be- 
gan to return, Ezra Snow being among the foremost, 


A MISHAP, 


295 


and on seeing the lad striving so hard to perform a 
man’s duty, he cried admiringly : 

“You’re a jewel, Tim, an’ no mistake! First I 
did n’t believe you had the makin’s of a fisherman 
in you ; but it begins to look as if you take to it jest 
as natural as a duck takes to water. It ’s a shame 
for a whiflet like you to be workin’ alone, though. 
Say,” he added to his dory-mate, “ shove out this ’ere 
load of fish, an’ I ’ll lend the boy a hand.” 

Mr. Snow leaped over the rail without waiting to 
learn whether his mate was willing to do as he had 
suggested, and, taking a knife from the combing of 
the hatch, after throwing a number of fish on the 
table, he said with an air of a schoolmaster: 

“ Now watch me a minute, Tim, an’ you ’ll see why 
one long, quick stroke will open a fish cleaner than 
two or three short ones, same as you ’re puttin’ in.” 

During half an hour or more this lesson was con- 
tinued, One-one-four profiting considerably by the 
instruction, and the two had made no little headway 
in the work when the remainder of the dories arrived. 

“ I ’m allowin’ that the rest of us can knock off 
now, seein’ ’s how we ’ve a couple here who can dress 
down the whole catch before mornin’,” Reuben Hardy 
cried with a laugh, as he began unloading his dory. 
“ Say, One-one-four, look out for that spindle-shanks 
you ’ve got with you ! He never could open a fish 


296 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


in decent shape, an’ unless you give him a few lessons 
he ’ll be doin’ more harm than good ! ” 

“ I was dressin’ down aboard the crack vessels of 
the Portland fleet before you was bom,” Ezra said 
just a bit sharply, and Reuben, who only intended, as 
he afterwards said, “ to stir Ezra up a bit,” replied : 

“ Ay, so you was, an’ maldn’ jest as lubberly a fist 
at it as you are now.” 

Then the others of the crew joined in gibing Mr. 
Snow until he lost his temper entirely, and wheeling 
about, as he flourished the knife above his head, he 
cried angrily: 

“ I ’ll agree to stand up against every man in this 
’ere vessel, ’cept two, an’ if I can’t clean more fish, 
in better shape, to the hour, you may have what ’s 
cornin’ to me as my share of the cruise ! ” 

‘‘ Let ’s see what you can do with this one,” Reu- 
ben cried with a laugh, as he flung a huge haddock 
directly at Ezra’s head, and the latter, dodging to 
avoid the well-aimed missile, slipped upon the gurry 
which covered the deck, falling headlong. 

As a matter of course all hands shouted in glee, 
for it was a rare bit of sport to see one who claimed 
so much for himself floundering upon the slimy deck. 
While the merriment was at its height Tim noticed 
with alarm that Mr. Snow made no effort to rise. 

“ Are you hurt much ? ” he asked solicitously. 


A MISHAP. 


297 


dropping the knife as he ran around the table, and 
then to his horror saw blood gushing from Ezra’s 
throat. 

“ He ’s killed ! The knife must have stuck into 
him when he went down ! ” the lad cried in terror, 
striving in vain to raise the prostrate form. 

In a twinkling every voice was stilled, as to a man 
the crew ran to give assistance, while those in the 
dories leaped over the schooner’s rail at imminent risk 
of getting an ugly fall. 

Captain Ben, who was on the point of descending 
the cabin-companion, gained Tim’s side before any 
of the others, and as he turned Ezra over in order to 
raise his head, all could see that the sailor’s face was 
covered with blood. 

‘‘ Bring fresh water, an’ tell Abram to make band- 
ages of a white shirt he ’ll find in my chest ! Bear a 
hand lively, lads! Ezra is hurt pretty bad, an’ we 
can’t afford to lose any time. No, I don’t reckon 
he ’s cut an artery — the blood flows evenly — ^but how 
he contrived to miss one I don’t understand.” 

During the next ten minutes or more everything 
was confusion and alarm aboard the Hylow; but at 
the end of that time Captain Ben had succeeded in 
checking the flow of blood. 

Not a word had been spoken, save when the skip- 
per called for this article or that to be used in the 


298 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


task. The men moved about as if terrified. Reuben 
Hardy, who was the innocent cause of the accident, 
stood pale-faced and trembling, watching every move- 
ment, but seemingly unable, because of his terror, to 
render any assistance. As a matter of fact, Mr. 
Doak and Tim were the only ones who retained their 
presence of mind, and the latter, who was wiping away 
the blood while Captain Ben brought the edges of the 
wound together, fastening them with adhesive plaster, 
was the first to break the ominous silence. 

“ Are you feelin’ better, Mr. Snow ? ” he asked 
tremulously, and the sailor replied angrily, as if mak- 
ing some promise to himself : 

‘‘ If I ever run across Jim Sullivan I ’ll come 
mighty near knockin’ the head off his shoulders, an’ 
the next man that says good-bye to me when I ’m 
startin’ out on a cruise ’ll get it good an’ hot ! ” 

“ I reckon you ’re all right now, Ezra,” Captain 
Ben said in a tone of relief. “ If you ’ve got back on 
your signs an’ omens I allow there ’s little danger but 
that you ’ll pull through.” 

“ Pull through ? Of course I will,” Mr. Snow 
cried irritably. “ Who ever thought I would n’t ? ” 
“ Well, if the knife had struck a quarter of an inch 
to starboard, I ’m allowin’ you would n’t know much 
of anythin’ by this time.” 

“ That seems to be the only piece of luck in the 


A MISHAP. 


299 


whole business, don’t it ! ” and Mr. Snow struggled 
to raise himself from Tim’s arms. 

“ Hold steady where you are, lad ! ” Captain Ben 
cried sharply. “ You can’t afford to move ’round 
very much, for I ain’t surgeon enough to draw that 
cut together as it ought’er be, an’ if you wiggle any 
great, it ’s liable to open. Now ’s when you ’ll take 
a bunk in the cuddy with Seth, unless it so be you ’d 
feel better in the cabin.” 

I ain’t so certain that I ’ve got to be cuddled up 
like that,” Ezra replied irritably. 

“ Well, I am, an’ that settles it. Bear a hand here, 
some of you lads, an’ help him for’ard. See to it 
that he ain’t jarred when you lift him inter his bunk, 
for there ’s no knowin’ what ’ll happen if he strains 
himself.” 

Reuben Hardy was one of those who sprang for- 
ward to obey the command, and he said in an implor- 
ing tone, as he put his arm almost affectionately 
around Ezra: 

“ Say, old man, it was a fool-trick of mine, an’ I ’m 
the one who ’s to blame for all this, but you won’t lay 
it up agin me, will yer.f* ” 

“Agin yer ? ” Ezra repeated as if in astonishment. 
“ What did you have to do with it ? ” 

“ Why, I was the one that threw the haddock, of 

>5 


course. 


300 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


“Well, what did that have to do with it?” Ezra 
asked as if in surprise. “ Jim Sullivan ’s the man 
who ’s to blame for all this. If he had n’t hailed me 
on Fore Street it wouldn’t have happened.” 

“ I reckon we can count pretty certain that Ezra 
is as near whole as a man can be who ’s jest cut his 
throat,” Bob Ahearn said laughingly, and then he and 
Reuben, with more of tenderness than one would 
have believed could be displayed by such men, as- 
sisted the wounded fisherman below. 

“ There ’s no use talkin’, the Hylow ’s in a bad 
streak of luck, an’ it won’t be much better till she 
makes Portland Head,” Ezra said when he had been 
stowed away in the bunk opposite Seth’s, and was ap- 
parently resting comfortably. “ If I was Cap’n 
Ben I would n’t wait for any more fish ; but get back, 
an’ then I ’d allow we only left port to try out the 
new vessel, or do a bit of trawlin’ so ’s to salt her down 
in good shape. First it was Seth, an’ now it ’s me ! 
I tell you lads, one after the other of this ’ere crew ’ll 
be knocked out of time till there ain’t men enough 
aboard left sound an’ whole to get the schooner un- 
der way.” 

“ There ’ll have to be a heap of manglin’ done be- 
fore that happens, Ezra,” Mr. Doak cried cheerily, as 
he hurriedly set about making ready the supper 
which had been so long delayed on account of the ac- 


A MISHAP. 


301 


cident. “ I reckon if it comes to a pinch, One-one- 
four an’ I could take her back to port, an’ do what 
nussin’ would be needed meanwhile.” 

The crew set about the task of caring for their fish 
before the evening meal was ready, for there was 
much work to be done on this night owing to the fact 
that the catch had been unusually large. When 
Abram finally announced that he was ready for the 
first half, the second half continued at the dressing 
tables that no time might be lost, and each man ate 
hurriedly, understanding that unless unusual dili- 
gence was observed there would be no opportunity 
for getting “ forty winks ” before the time came for 
putting off in the dories once more. 

Then, when the hunger of all had been appeased, 
and Tim and Abram were on deck with the remainder 
of the crew doing their full share of the work, Seth 
and Ezra amused each other so successfully that the 
lad finally asked: 

‘‘ How long do you suppose you ’ll have to stay 
here, Mr. Snow ? ” 

“ There ’s no tellin’. I allow I might get out in a 
day or two if I was allowed my own head, but if Cap’n 
Ben tabes the notion that he wants to try experiments 
on me, so ’s he ’ll be better fitted to tackle another 
case of the kind, I may be laid up a couple of weeks 
for all I know. Why do you ask, son.^ ” 


302 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


“ ’Cause it ’s so nice to have company down here. 
You can’t imagine how lonesome it is when all hands 
are on deck, an’ there ’s nobody to speak with.” 

“ Yes, I can, lad, for I once put in a week or more 
alone on the Maria Perkins, when I was that covered 
with gurry sores I could n’t wink without screechin’ 
an’ thought one spell that I ’d have to get them to 
belay my eyelids so ’s I should n’t hurt myself. I ’m 
glad, though, if you ’re gettin’ any fun out of it. It 
seems as if I was havin’ about as much luck as you, 
’cause if we was n’t both laid by the heels it stands 
to reason I ’d be alone this blessed minute. I knew 
a man that got mixed up in a trawl-tub durin’ a livin’ 
gale, an’ by the time we got him out he was cut an’ 
slashed till his own grandmother would have passed 
him by on the street without lookin’ at him.” 

Then Mr. Snow indulged in reminiscences, spin- 
ning yarns one after another of people and events 
who had come under his personal notice, until Seth 
was lulled to sleep. 

It seemed very much as if, because of having a 
companion in the cuddy-hospital, Seth slept soundly 
for the first time since his mishap, and not until the 
sun was shining down the companion next morning 
did he open his eyes. 

Then the first half were eating breakfast, Tim was 
bustling around assisting Mr. Doak and waiting upon 


A MISHAP, 


303 


the men, and Ezra, speaking in a low tone lest his 
companion in misfortune should be awakened, was 
mapping out a course of action for the day such as 
would, in his opinion, lead to the discovery of how 
Jerry Bates had come to his end, if indeed he had. 

Captain Ben, eager to make up for the time already 
wasted, was driving the crew in true Gloucester fash- 
ion, and the lazy rise and fall of the Hylow told that 
the fishing weather still held good. Then the dories 
were manned, and the fleet of little boats put out to 
begin the work of the day, while Abram and Tim, 
after eating their own breakfast, set about feeding 
the invalids. 

This last task was completed, and the cuddy very 
nearly set to rights, when those below were startled 
by a shock against the side of the schooner, as if 
a dory had come head on at full speed. 

“ What lubber is let loose now ? ” Mr. Doak cried 
in an angry tone as he ran up the companion-way, 
and those below heard an exclamation of astonishment 
a moment later as he cried, ‘‘ I ’ll be jiggered if it 
ain’t Bob Ahearn ! Have you gone crazy, lad, that 
you come aboard in such a landsman’s fashion ? ” 

‘‘ I don’t know but that I am a bit cracked,” 
Ahearn replied curtly. ‘‘ I shall be off my head 
completely if this thing ain’t cleared up mighty 


soon. 


304 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


“What thing?” Mr. Doak asked curiously as he 
ran to the rail, and Tim came out of the cuddy in no 
little excitement. 

“ This Bates business,” Bob said, as he nervously 
made the dory fast. “ Two more trawls were cut last 
night, an’ Cap’n Ben may say what he ’s a mind to, 
I ’m through fishin’ till we can get at the bottom of it 
in some way or another.” 

“ Reg’larly knocked off ? ” and Mr. Doak held up 
his hands in astonishment, for Ahearn was the last 
member of the crew whom he would have selected 
as one who might run counter to the captain’s 
commands. 

“ I ’ve knocked off a spell anyway, but I ’m not 
countin’ on doin’ very much idlin’. There ’s no use 
for us to hang ’round here while somebody ’s cuttin’ 
our trawls every night, an’ it strikes me the time ’s 
come to put an end to it.” 

“ What do you mean ? I allowed after you ’d pulled 
over to Sable Island, that was about as much as you 
could do.” 

“ There ’s one place in this ’ere fleet that we have n’t 
searched, an’ I don’t know of a likelier chance for 
Bates to hide. I allowed he might have crept aboard 
one of the other vessels, an’ hid in her hold; but let 
that fool Ezra back me down by askin’ chump 
questions as to how he could get out nights to do 


A MISHAP. 


305 


mischief. I ’ve got the idee in my head now that 
I ’m on the right track, an’ have come back to try it.” 

‘‘What made you come here.? Why didn’t you 
keep right on .? ” 

“ It ’s here that I ’m goin’ to begin work. Right 
aboard the Hylow, Now see here,” he added to his 
dory-mate, Joe Barker, “I want you an’ Tim to 
stand guard at the hatch, an’ if you should happen 
to see Bates tryin’ to get out, knock him back.” 

“ Tryin’ to get out of our hold.? ” Mr. Doak cried 
in astonishment. 

“ Ay, Abram, the fool idee I ’ve got in my head is 
that he ’s below.” 

“ But there ’s no chance that he — ” Mr. Doak 
stopped speaking suddenly, as at that instant he re- 
membered the unaccountable disappearance of the 
doughnuts, and, actually dancing up and down on the 
deck in his excitement, he said : “ I believe you ’ve hit 
it. Bob! I declare to goodness if all hands of us 
have n’t been the thickest-headed, dumbest set of 
fishermen that ever struck the Banks! Somebody 
stole half a barrel of doughnuts the other night, an’ I 
laid it on to one of the crew.” 

“ Why did n’t you tell me .? ” Bob cried angrily. 
“ It might have set us to thinkin’ what we ought’er 
figgered out after bearin’ that he was n’t on any other 
craft in the fleet.” 


20 


306 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


“ If it did n’t come inter my head, I reckon it 
would n’t yours, for you ’re not any brighter than the 
average.” 

“ Perhaps I ain’t, an’ there ’s been times this 
momin’ when it struck me that my skull was thicker 
than most of the others ; but there ’s no use in our 
arguin’ here, Abram. You ’re cornin’ below with 
me, an’ we ’ll make a clean search of this hold before 
agreein’ that he ain’t aboard.” 

Mr. Doak did not appear to be well pleased at thus 
being selected to take part in the search; but it 
would have shamed him had any of his mates sus- 
pected that there was a bit of cowardice in his nature, 
and, assuming as ferocious an expression as possible, 
he armed himself with a belay ing-pin. Then, as if 
fearing he might not be able to cope with so desperate 
a fellow while having no other weapon, he ran into 
the cuddy for the heavy poker, Ezra asking excitedly 
as he came down the companion-way: 

“ What ’s there such a row about ? ” 

“ The row has n’t come yet ; but I reckon it will if 
Bob ’s anywhere near right in what he ’s suspectin’ ! ” 
and Mr. Doak brandished the poker ferociously. 

“ What ’s he suspectin’ ? ” 

“ That Jerry Bates ’s stowed away in our hold ! ” 

Mr. Snow attempted to leap out of the bunk, so 
great was the excitement which suddenly came upon 


A MISHAP, 


307 


him at the bare suggestion that the mischief-maker 
might have remained on board the Hylow, and 
Abram, understanding how dangerous it was for the 
wounded man to indulge in any violent exertions, 
cried in a peremptory tone as he brandished his 
weapons once more : 

“ Get straight back there, Ezra Snow! You ’re in 
no fit shape to move ’round, an’ Cap’n Ben ’d light 
inter me terribly if he thought I ’d allow anythin’ of 
the kind I Get back there 1 ” 

“ But I ’ve got to have a hand in the takin’ of that 
trawl-cutter, if so be he ’s aboard this ’ere schooner I ” 
Ezra cried, at the same time careful to obey the 
cook’s commands, and then, remembering what he 
had previously said regarding the possibility of Bates 
being aboard some other vessel, he added with a laugh 
as of relief : 

“ Well, there ’s no great need of my makin’ a fool 
of myself, ’cause he can’t be aboard! How could he 
get out to cut the trawls if he was ? ” 

“ It ’s none of my figgerin’. Bob comes back with 
the idee in his head that the hold must be searched, an’ 
I ’ve got to go with him. Now you keep quiet, Ezra, 
’cause I can’t have you an’ Jerry Bates both on my 
hands at the same time ! ” 

Then Mr. Doak went up the companion-way, and 
learned that Bob had lost no time in making prepara,- 


308 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


tions for the search. Joe Barker and Tim, both 
armed with belaying-pins, were standing by the open 
hatchway, and Ahearn himself, disdaining to use 
other weapons than those with which nature provided 
him, had stripped off his oil-skins that his movements 
might not be hampered! 

“ Come on, Abram ; you ’re takin’ as much time to 
get ready as if you was outfittin’ for a cruise ’round 
the Horn. Get below there, and look lively 1 ” 

“ This ’s none of my picnics. Bob Aheam, so jest 
you go ahead an’ run things. I ’ll keep at your back 
all right.” 

“ That ain’t what I want you to do,” the sailor 
cried as he lowered himself into the hold. ‘‘ You keep 
along on the other side, abreast of me. We ’ll begin 
the search right here.” 

It was- by no means to the cook’s liking, this 
scrambling around in the gloom where a desperate 
man might be hidden who could strike an effective 
blow at the moment of being discovered, thus taking 
the searcher at a disadvantage, and nothing save the 
fear that his mates would call him a coward pre- 
vented Abram Doak from crawling on deck again in 
the shortest possible time. 

Bob plunged straight on into the darkness, 
heeding not the possible danger, but bent on satis- 
fying himself as to the whereabouts of the man 


A MISHAP. 


309 


who had caused so much consternation among the 
crew of the Hylow. He explored every nook suffi- 
ciently large to afford a hiding-place for a cat, and 
then, having arrived at that space between the casks 
where Seth and Tim stowed away, missed his footing, 
striking in the fall something which squirmed be- 
neath him. 

“ This way, Abram ! This way ! I ’ve got the 
cowardly trawl-cutter ! Here he is, an’ now we ’ll 
show him ” 

Bob failed to finish the sentence. Bates, who must 
have known that search was being made for him, 
grappled with Aheam as he fell, and Mr. Doak, who 
came to a halt immediately Bob summoned him, 
could hear sounds which gave token that a desperate 
struggle was taking place. 

“ Smash his head for him if he won’t come out ! ” 
Abram shouted valiantly, but making no move to go 
to Ahearn’s assistance. “ Yank him out. Bob, if so 
be you ’ve really got him ! I ’ll show him what it is 
to cut honest fishermen’s trawls ! ” 

Ahearn made no reply, and for the very good rea- 
son that he had quite as much business on hand as he 
could well attend to ; for, although Bates was the un- 
der dog in the fight, he was battling desperately to 
overcome his adversary. 

“ Where are you, Mr. Doak.? ” Tim shouted as he 


310 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


leaned over the hatch-combing, and Abram, evidently 
delighted at an opportunity to move away from the 
scene of the conflict, came up under the hatch in order 
to answer the question. 

“ Why, I ’m here, Timmy ; did you want me? ” 

“/ want you?” One-one-four cried sharply. 
“ Why don’t you go an’ help Bob ? There must be a 
big row goin’ on somewhere there.” 

“I reckon there is, lad; but I can’t see my way 
’round clearly, an’ am afraid I might do more harm 
than good.” 

“ Some one must help Bob, for Bates has got a 
grip on him ! ” Tim cried excitedly, and dropping 
down the hatchway, at imminent danger of breaking 
a limb, he scrambled aft in the direction from whence 
the noise of the battle could be heard, giving no heed 
to himself, but bent only on lending aid to the brother 
of his friend. 

“ I would n’t be brash, lad, for there ’s no tellin’ 
what you may run up against,” Abram said warn- 
ingly, moving forward ever so little behind the boy, 
but taking good care not to come up with him. 
“ They ’re splashin’ ’round mighty lively, an’ there ’s 
no tellin’ what ’ll happen if you ’re a bit careless.” 

It was as if Tim had not heard the words, for he 
scrambled over the casks at full speed, dropping his 
weapons as the way became more difficult, and then, 


A MISHAP, 


311 


understanding where the two must be because of his 
previous knowledge of the Hylow, he advanced slowly 
lest he should fall directly upon them. 

“Where are you, Bob.^ Top or bottom? Why 
don’t you sing out so ’s I ’ll know how to get in 
there? ” 

“ Keep away, Timmy ! Keep away, I tell you ! 
You’ll get hurt!” Ahearn cried indistinctly, and 
One-one-four understood that Bates, if indeed it was 
really he, must have a hold on Bob’s throat. 

“ Don’t you be afraid of me. I ’ll take care of 
myself. Keep his arms down if you can, so ’s I ’ll 
have a chance to get next to the bulkhead.” 

Then Tim leaped bodily down into the narrow 
space, landing with his feet on either side the enemy’s 
head, and it was soon possible for him to under- 
stand fully the position of affairs. 

He could not work to advantage, owing to the fact 
that whenever he attempted to bend forward, in order 
to get a hold of this fellow who was battling so des- 
perately, he came in contact with Bob, and after try- 
ing two or three times he deliberately seated himself 
upon the enemy’s face, striving eagerly to get hold of 
his throat. 

“ Now you ’re doin’ it, Tim ; but look out for your- 
self I ” and because Bob spoke more distinctly One- 
one-four understood that he was doing very much 


312 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


toward smothering the man beneath him, thus causing 
him to relax his hold. 

While one might have counted twenty, Abram stood 
in painful indecision a dozen paces or more away 
from the scene of the conflict, and then came Bob’s 
voice in a tone of relief : 

“ I reckon we ’ve got him cowed, lad, an’ in shape 
to be handled ! Get out, if you can, an’ I ’ll finish up 
this ’ere business.” 


CHAPTER XVn. 


JERRY BATES. 

‘‘Is it really Jerry Bates?” Tim asked as he 
scrambled up on the casks that he might not impede 
Ahearn in his movements. 

“ It can’t be anybody else hidin’ down here, that ’s 
certain. Stand by to hit him over the head, if he 
turns rusty while I ’m gettin’ out.” 

“ Bring him here ! ” Abram shouted furiously, now 
understanding that the battle was at an end. 
“ Bring him here, an’ I ’ll pound him inter a jelly.” 

“ Be sure you keep far enough under the hatch 
so ’s you can run when he sneezes,” Bob said just a 
bit impatiently, for he understood that the cook had 
not covered himself with glory during the search of 
the hold. “ Now then, come out of here. Bates, an’ 
no more funny business, or we ’ll handle you mighty 
rough ! Come peaceable, an’ it ’ll be all the better 
for you.” 

“ I ’ll throw up my hands,” the man said surlily. 
“ I reckon you ’ve got the best of it now ; but I ’ve 
come somewhere near squarin’ things with Ben 
Willard.” 


313 


314 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


“ If your idee of gettin’ even with a man, ’cause he 
tried to make you behave decent, is cuttin’ trawls an’ 
such tricks as that, then I allow you have; but jest 
now I ’m runnin’ this thing, an’ you ’ll walk a chalk- 
line till the skipper comes aboard. After that, it ’ll 
be for him to say what ’s to be done.” 

Owing to the fact that he had lost his belaying-pin 
while scrambling over the casks, Tim had no weapon 
with which to carry out Ahearn’s orders in case 
Bates had attempted to make any more of a fight ; but 
he stood ready nevertheless, giving no heed to his 
own danger, and thinking only of taking a full share 
of whatsoever might come. 

It was not a simple matter for Bob to get his pris- 
oner out of the narrow space, however willing the man 
might be to obey orders, and several minutes were 
spent in the effort, during which time Abram stood 
under the hatch where he could guard himself against 
any possible harm, making the most blood-curdling 
threats against the now subdued trawl-cutter. 

‘‘ Can I lend you a hand ” Joe Barker called from 
the deck, and Abram replied, bending Bates’s arms 
behind him as he gripped him firmly by the elbows, 
thus forcing the fellow forward: 

“ Pass me down a line. I ’m not minded to send 
this sneak up till he ’s made fast. Then you may rig 
a tackle for hoistin’ him out.” 


JERRY BATES. 


315 


Abram was exceedingly brave when Bob came out 
into the light which streamed from the hatchway, 
clutching his prisoner firmly with Qne-one-four close 
beside Bates ready to jump upon him at the first at- 
tempt to escape. 

“ I ’ve been on your track ever since you started 
in at these tricks ! ” Mr. Doak cried, as he swung the 
poker vigorously. “ You ’ve played a pretty high 
game; but the jig is up now, an’ we ’ll take a hand at 
showin’ you what ’s what.” 

“ Hold your tongue, Abram, an’ get on deck ! ” 
Bob cried irritably. “ There ’s no need of overly 
many words, an’ surely none of threats now that 
Bates has given in.” 

‘‘ But you ’ll need me here to help you.” 

‘‘ One-one-four is standin’ ready, an’ that ’s 
enough. He ’s the only one that has lent me a hand 
since we came below, an’ I won’t forget him for the 
good turn he did. I ’d had the wind choked out of 
me, so far as help from you was concerned. Get on 
deck, an’ ’tend to your pots an’ pans, ’cause you ain’t 
cut out for a fighter.” 

‘‘ I won’t give in to any man, when it comes to 
standin’ up in the daylight,” Mr. Doak grumbled 
as he obeyed the command. “ I don’t allow I ’m 
enough of a cat to make much show where it ’s 
darker ’n Egypt,” and as he scrambled above the 


316 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


hatch-combing he heard Ezra shouting frantically: 

“ On deck there, some of you ! Tell that lubber to 
let me know what ’s goin’ on ! Ahoy there ! ” 

“ Now Ezra, you ’re excitin’ yourself, an’ the 
cap’n said you must keep calm,” Mr. Doak cried sav- 
agely. “ I can’t look after you an’ fight Jerry Bates 
at the same time ! ” 

“ Was it Bates?” Ezra cried fiercely. 

“ Of course it was, an’ we ’ve got him where he 
can’t help himself, the thievin’ trawl-cutter ! I knew 
all along that you fellows was n’t on the right track, 
but when Bob began to wonder whether he might n’t 
be aboard this ’ere schooner, I told him he was 
barkin’ up the right tree, knowin’ it must be so on 
’count of the doughnuts he had stole.” 

“ Help me out ! I want to get a look at him.” 

“ Now see here, Ezra, you ’ll have to lay still, or 
I ’ll serve you the same as I did Jerry Bates, even if 
you are a friend of mine! You know Cap’n Ben 
don’t allow you ’re goin’ to move ’round any. Be- 
sides, we can’t have you mixed up here on deck while 
we ’ve got so much to do.” 

Then, to make sure the wounded man would not in- 
jure himself by getting out of the bunk despite all 
that had been said to the contrary, Mr. Doak calmly 
and quietly pulled the companion-hatch over and 
locked it. 


JERRY BATES. 


517 


By this time Joe Barker had lowered the tackle; 
and the prisoner, bound hand and foot, was hoisted 
on deck. 

The surly sailor looked the bully he was, when he 
stood helplessly leaning against the mainmast, gaz- 
ing around more in anger than fear. 

Bob and Tim followed immediately, and Bates said 
as Ahearn stood before him threateningly: 

“ Don’t make the mistake of goin’ too far with this 
matter, for there ’s such a thing as law in the land, 
an’ if you raise your hand agin me I ’ll make you 
smart for it when we get into port ! ” 

“ If you was n’t such a mean, despicable kind of a 
thing I ’d teach you to threaten me ; but I ’m kind er 
ashamed to swap words with a trawl-cutter. Tim, 
pass me the main halyards, an’ we ’ll make him fast 
where he stands, till Cap’n Ben comes aboard.” 

To this Bates made no protest ; his only fear seemed 
to be lest Bob should attempt to inflict bodily punish- 
ment, and all else was as nothing. 

‘‘Now what ’re you goin’ to do.?” One-one-four 
asked when the prisoner was secured in such a manner 
that he could do no more than move his head. 

“ There ’s plenty of time ; we ’ll wait till all hands 
come aboard. It ’s enough to know that we ’ve put 
an end to trawl-cutting, an’ deprived Ezra of a 
chance to Agger out that there’s somethin’ ghostly 


318 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


about the business. If the other fellows feel as I 
do, when they see Bates, we ’ll be a mighty contented 
crew, for to tell the truth I was beginnin’ to get a 
bit scary. Let ’s mug-up, an’ have a bite. I did n’t 
stop to get more ’n half a breakfast this momin’.” 

“ You ’d better wash your face first,” Tim said 
laughingly. “ Bates must have given you a good 
punch in the nose, for it ’s Weedin’ pretty near as 
bad as Mr. Snow’s neck did, an’ you don’t look pretty 
that way.” 

“ It strikes me you ’re scratched up a good bit 
yourself,” Bob said as he pointed to Tim’s cheek, 
which had evidently come in forcible contact with 
the top of a cask, for it was scraped from the fore- 
head to the chin. 

“ It looks as if you an’ me got all there was cornin’, 
an’ Jerry Bates kept out of it,” Tim said with a 
laugh, as he ascertained the extent of his injuries by 
the sense of touch. 

“ I did n’t want to hit him full in the face when I 
had a chance, an’ after he got hold of my throat I 
could n’t, so that ’s why he came off so clean,” Bob 
explained as he bathed his swollen nose, and otherwise 
made ready to “ mug-up.” 

“ Say, why have you got the cuddy locked ? ” 
Ahearn asked when he would have gone below for 
food and coffee. 


JERRY BATES, 


319 


“ Ezra got ravin’ ’round so I was afraid he ’d 
come on deck spite of all I could do, an’ that was the 
only way to make certain he ’d stay where he be- 
longed,” Mr. Doak explained as he pushed back the 
hatch, and the wounded man cried angrily: 

“ I ’ll serve you out, Abram Doak, before this 
cruise ’s ended, for shuttin’ me in here, you dough- 
mixer ! Who ’s up there Some decent man I hope ! 
Oh, it ’s you, eh. Bob ? ” he added as Ahearn de- 
scended. “ Now, tell me all about it.” 

“ I can’t make any yam, Ezra, ’cause there ’s noth- 
in’ to it, ’cept that we went down an’ found him,” 
Ahearn replied, laughing more merrily than he had 
since the first mischief was discovered. “ It popped 
inter my head this mornin’, after findin’ two trawls 
cut, that perhaps there was more in what you an’ I 
had been sayin’ about his hidin’ in some vessel than 
we allowed, so made up my mind that we ’d search the 
Hylow first. The time had come when I was through 
work till we ’d got at an end of this business. Now 
we ’ve straightened it out in good shape, an’ I reckon 
from this time on there ’ll be nothin’ to interfere with 
our humpin’ ourselves.” 

“ What ’re you goin’ to do now you ’ve got him ? ” 
That ’s for the cap’n to say. It ’s enough for 
me that we know how he kept out of sight.” 

“ Yes, but you have n’t found out how he could 


320 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


get away to cut the trawls, an’ stay in the hold at 
the same time,” Ezra said impatiently. 

Of course he did n’t stay in the hold at the same 
time he cut the trawls ; but I reckon it would n’t be 
hard to figger how he could get away now an’ then 
without our knowin’ it. Jest think, Ezra! If you 
had had your way we should have turned the Hylow^s 
nose for Portland harbor, thinkin’ we had a whole 
cargo of ghosts aboard.” 

“ An’ as it is, Abram ’s the one who hit upon it at 
last I That ’s what surprises me.” 

“ How did Abram hit on it.? ” Bob asked in 
surprise. 

“ I don’t know. He jest said it was him as turned 
this thing up. Was n’t that the idee, Abram.? ” 

“ Well, it was me as told Bob about the dough- 
nuts, an’ that give him the clue,” Mr. Doak ex- 
plained, but giving good evidence that he did not 
care to continue the conversation by retreating be- 
hind the stove-pipe, where he remained unusually 
silent until shouts from over the water told that the 
Hylow^s dories were returning once more. 

It is not necessary that any attempt be made 
at depicting the astonishment of the crew as they 
returned in couples at short intervals, and saw bound 
to the mainmast the trawl-cutter whom they had 
sought for so long and eagerly. Never a man 


JERRY BATES, 


521 


among them who stopped to unload his dory ; but all 
came inboard chattering like a troop of monkeys, 
as Mr. Doak afterward elegantly expressed it. 

Bob refused to answer any of the many questions 
put to him, contenting himself by saying as he 
pointed to the prisoner: 

“ There ’s the sneak what frightened all hands to 
such an extent they ’d been willin’ to put back, 
losin’ a full fare, for the sake of gettin’ rid of the 
hoodoo which Ezra Snow swore Jim Sullivan had 
put on the craft. That ’s enough to know now ; 
but when Cap’n Ben comes aboard you ’ll hear the 
whole story, for I ’m not minded to tell it more ’n 
once.” 

It pleased Ahearn to enjoy his triumph as long 
as might be, and a triumph it surely was, since 
through him all which had alarmed and perplexed the 
crew was at an end. 

The master of the Hylow and Reuben Hardy were 
the last to pull alongside, and owing to the throng 
upon the schooner’s deck. Captain Ben did not at 
first see the prisoner, but asked sharply: 

“ What ’s the meanin’ of this sogerin’ Why 
don’t you turn to an’ unload the boats ? ” 

‘‘ That ’s why we don’t,” Joe Barker replied, as he 
pushed aside two or three of the men that the captain 
might have a view of him who was lashed to the main- 


S22 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


mast. ‘‘We ’re waitin’ to hear the story, for Bob 
won’t tell it till you ’re here.” 

“Jerry Bates, by all that’s good!” Captain Ben 
exclaimed as he turned questioningly to Bob who, 
without delay, explained why he had conceived the 
idea of searching the Hylow^s hold, and what he 
had found there, not omitting a flowery account of 
Tim’s bravery and Abram’s cowardice. 

“ I have n’t asked him any questions,” Bob said in 
conclusion, as Captain Ben came aboard, “ for I 
allowed that was your business. He had the nerve 
to threaten me with the law if I handled him too 
rough, so I reckon he ain’t in what you might call 
any repentant mood yet awhile.” 

“ Look here. Bates,” Captain Ben said as he 
wheeled suddenly upon the prisoner. “ In all my 
sailin’ I never run across a man who was willin’, for 
the sake of workin’ spite, to do what you ’ve done, 
an’ I ’m curious to know in what way you ’ve counted 
yourself so deeply injured that you ’d resort to such 
mean tricks ” 

“ I ’ve been treated like a dog ever since I came 
aboard this schooner,” Bates replied sullenly, and 
Captain Ben cried as if he was beginning to lose his 
temper : 

“ If you can show me one man who acted toward 
you other than as a shipmate, till the day when you 


JERRY BATES. 


323 


came near drownin’ One-one-four, or tell me of any- 
thin’ I did to set you so against us, I ’ll be glad to 
hear it, for I hate to believe any fellow would make 
such a scoundrel of himself without some little reason 
for it.” 

“ There ’s no need of my makin’ talk now. 
You ’re all down on me, an’ I know it.” 

“ But until you abused Tim Jones without reason, 
was anythin’ done to you, or against you, by a single 
person on this schooner ? ” 

“ I don’t say as there was ; but I did n’t abuse the 
kid. What harm was there in holdin’ him over the 
rail a bit? Besides, he needed trimmin’ after bein’ 
so funny as to tumble me over. What call had he to 
play any pranks on me ? ” 

‘‘ You know very well he did n’t play any pranks. 
It was an accident which might have happened to the 
oldest sailor aboard. It was only natural the men 
should dislike you after such an exhibition of your- 
self. So that ’s the cause of all you ’ve done in the 
way of tryin’ to break up this cruise Because the 
men did n’t take kindly to you after you had come 
very near drownin’ one lad, an’ broke the bones of 
another, you thought yourself warranted in destroyin’ 
our property ? ” 

“ It don’t make any difference what I thought. 
I ’ve done my part, an’ now I suppose you allow you 


324 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


can do yours ; but I ’m tellin’ this, Cap’n Ben Wil- 
lard: Have a care that you don’t run up agin the 
law, for I ’ll take it on you as soon as we get inter 
port.” 

“ You won’t live to see port, if we can have our 
way ! ” Joe Barker cried angrily, and Bates cried 
with a whine: 

“That’s it; all hands are ready to jump down 
on me ! ” and Captain Ben turned away impatiently, 
understanding that it was useless to hold further 
parley with such a man ; but Bob prevented him from 
putting an end to the questioning, by saying: 

“ Look here, Cap’n, you ’d better make him tell 
how he ’s done all this work, for the sake of quietin’ 
the men. A good many of ’em have been willin’ to 
think there ’s some ghost business in it, an’ the safest 
plan is to clear the thing up, if that sneak ’ll talk.” 

“ Bates, I ’d like to have you tell me one thing,” 
and Captain Ben wheeled sharply around. “ Why 
did you cut our trawls Was it only to spite us.'^ ” 

“ Well, there was somethin’ of that in it, an’ then 
agin, I allowed you ’d have to put back to port if you 
lost many of ’em.” 

“ How did you get out of the hold without our 
seein’ you ? ” Bob asked, and Bates laughed as he 
replied : 

“ There was n’t any trick to that, seein’ how no 


JERRY BATES, 


325 


watch has been kept. When you fellows went below 
I crept on deck, got into one of the dories, an’ pulled 
off. The only risk in it was that I might n’t be able 
to get on board agin without bein’ seen.” 

‘‘ But why did you send the dory adrift ? ” 

So ’s you would n’t think I was here, of course. 
Don’t you give me credit for havin’ any sense.? ” 

“ That seems to be all there is to it,” Captain Ben 
said, as he turned toward the crew. ‘‘ It ’s a simple 
matter when you get right down to the bottom of it, 
an’ yet all hands were ready to put back, believin’ 
in Ezra’s superstitious idees. A surly, ill-tempered 
fellow who, because he could n’t brutally ill-treat a 
couple of boys, counts himself abused, an’ you allow 
him to frighten you.” 

“ Yes, that ’s all there is to it so far as our knowin’ 
how the thing happened,” Joe Barker said as he ad- 
vanced nearer the captain, “ an’ now what about 
Bates.? ” 

“ How do you mean .? ” 

What ’s to be done with the sneak .? ” 

‘‘We ’ll take good care he can’t play any more 
tricks, an’ put him ashore when we get into port.” 

“What.?” Reuben Hardy cried angrily. “Is 
nothin’ more to come of this .? He ’s to be taken home 
like a passenger, after all the trouble an’ worry he ’s 
given us, an’ then set ashore like an honest man, eh? ” 


326 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


What else would you have, lads ? That I swear 
out a warrant against him? ” 

‘‘Warrant nothin’!” Joe Barker screamed. 
“ Turn him over to us ! There ’s no need of gettin’ 
out a warrant.” 

“ Now look here, lads, there ’s goin’ to be nothin’ 
of that kind aboard this schooner,” and Captain 
Ben stood in front of the prisoner as if fearing some 
violence might be attempted. “ You ’re to behave 
like decent men. I ’ll admit you ’ve had enough to 
rile you up in good shape, but you sha’n’t turn your- 
selves into brutes. If Bates is to be brought to ac- 
count for what he ’s done, it ’ll be in a legal way, an’ 
no other.” 

“ Then we ain’t allowed to serve him out in our 
way? ” Hardy cried in a threatening tone. 

“ He ’s to be kept a prisoner,” Captain Ben re- 
peated quietly but firmly. “We ’ll contrive some 
sort of a place for him in the hold, or the cabin, 
where we can make sure he ’ll not be able to give 
us the slip. When we arrive in port, if you claim 
that he ought to be arrested for malicious mischief — 
an’ I reckon that ’s about all that can be brought 
against him — I ’ll see he ’s turned over to the officers 
of the law.” 

The men looked at each other meaningly, and, al- 
though no one spoke. Captain Ben would have been 


JERRY BATES, 


S27 


blind indeed if he had not understood by their si- 
lence, as well as their movements, that already a plan 
was being formed in their minds to inflict some pun- 
ishment upon the man who had caused them so many 
uncomfortable hours. Jerry Bates himself must 
have understood somewhat of this, for he glanced 
from one to the other uneasily, and timidly shrank 
back as far as his bonds would permit, whenever any 
one moved toward him. He was a veritable coward, 
as indeed he had shown himself to be by the destruc- 
tion of the trawls, and like all of his class feared 
bodily pain more than any legal punishment which 
could have been inflicted upon him. 

After a few moments’ hesitation the crew, heeding 
not the fact that the dories yet remained unloaded, 
gathered in little knots forward, or entered the cuddy 
one by one as if going below for no good purpose. 

Captain Ben, who had noted all this as he came to 
a halt near the after-companion, without seeming to 
watch the men, beckoned for Bob Ahearn, saying as 
the latter came up : 

“ Unless all signs fail we ’re like to have trouble 
in tryin’ to act decently by Jerry Bates, an’ I ’m 
dependin’ upon you more ’n any other to stand 
by me.” 

“ I don’t say I won’t do it,” Bob replied slowly 
and hesitatingly; ‘‘but there’s a big doubt in my 


328 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


mind whether you ’ve got any right to prevent the 
men from workin’ their will on yonder sneak. He ’s 
come mighty nigh breakin’ up the cruise entirely ; 
through him we ’ve lost, on a rough guess, from five 
to ten thousand of fish, an’ it ain’t human nature for 
them to coddle the villain after findin’ him.” 

‘‘ Whether I ’ve a right or not remains to be seen ! ” 
and now Captain Ben spoke angrily. “As I told 
them, there shall be no brutality aboard this schooner. 
We ’ll either take the fellow back to Portland, an’ 
put him before the court, or land him somewhere here- 
abouts; but nothin’ more. Now if you’re of the 
mind that it ’s necessary to play the part of a brute, 
say so, an’ I ’ll tackle this thing single-handed, 
for certain it is that the crew ’ll have to get rid 
of me before they can work their will on that 
man ! ” 

“ I ’ll stand by you, Cap’n, although it goes 
mightily agin the grain. I ’m allowin’ that I ’m no 
more brutal than the average run of men, but when 
you consider how he ’s worked us up, without rhyme 
or reason, you can’t wonder that all hands kick 
against his goin’ scot free.” 

“ There ’s much of truth in what you say. Bob ; 
but at the same time I hold to the stand I ’ve taken. 
You agree to stick by me.?* Then one or the other 
of us must be on deck while Bates is aboard.” 


JERRY BATES. 


329 


So we ’re to turn nurse an’ coddle him, eh ? ” Bob 
asked bitterly. 

“ You know what I mean. After your anger has 
had time to cool, you ’ll look at the matter as I do. 
We ’ll give the crew a chance to chew it over for a 
half an hour or so, an’ then it ’s a case of all hands 
turnin’ to with a will.” 

Captain Ben went below, and Bob muttered to him- 
self as he walked forward, turning his head away 
when he passed the prisoner at the mainmast lest he 
be tempted to break the promise given: 

“ He don’t dare set them to unloadin’ the dories 
yet a while, an’ that ’s a fact. They ’re ripe for al- 
most anythin’ in the way of mischief, if so be there ’s 
a chance of servin’ Bates out, an’ I can’t say as I 
blame ’em.” 

The most excited man aboard the Hylow was Ezra 
Snow, and the fact that he could not get out of the 
bunk to take part in whatsoever might be done, only 
served to add to his impatience because the crew had 
not already taken the matter into their own hands. 

“ Goin’ to take him back to port like he was a 
howlin’ swell ? ” he cried when Reuben Hardy re- 
ported what Captain Ben had said. “ We ’re to 
wait on him from now out, an’ look after his health, 
I s’pose, so ’s he sha’n’t take cold or get dyspepsey ! 
We ’re goin’ to stand by while that bloomin’ trawl- 


330 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


cutter goes scot free ! Things have come to a pretty 
pass when we ’ve got to take our hats off to a sneak 
like Bates, after he has run his rig.” 

‘‘ Perhaps you would n’t like to say that to Cap’n 
Ben ? ” Abram suggested, taking care, however, to 
get behind the stove-pipe lest Mr. Snow should be 
tempted to fling at his head anything within reach. 

“ I ’d like to see a skipper I did n’t dare to talk to, 
when he was coddlin’ such a sneak as Jerry Bates ! ” 
Ezra cried savagely. “Ain’t we got any rights 
aboard this ’ere schooner, or are we a set of miserable 
slaves what are bound to sneeze when the cap’n gets 
cold.? ” 

“ Well, now, Ezra, just what would you do if it was 
possible to move ’ round .? ” Reuben Hardy asked 
seriously. 

“ I ’d get the boys together, have ’em agree to put 
off to-morrow mornin’ just the same as ever, an’ after 
makin’ certain Cap’n Ben could n’t see what was goin’ 
on, instead of runnin’ the trawls, I ’d snoop back to 
the schooner an’ serve Bates out.” 

“Yes, but how would you serve him out.?” 

“ Let every man give him fifteen or twenty good 
sound cuts on the bare back with a bit of a half-inch 
rope, an’ by the time that ’d been done properly I 
reckon he would n’t have the stomach to cut any more 
trawls.” 


JERRY BATES, 


331 


‘‘ I reckon your plan is a good one,” Joe Barker 
said approvingly, “ an’ there ’s nothin’ to prevent us 
from carryin’ it out. Let ’s turn to an’ unload the 
dories now, actin’ as if we was willin’ to stand the 
cap’n’s orders. Then dress down, an’ if nothin’ hap- 
pens after that we can settle on what time we ’d best 
put back to-morrow mornin’.” 

Ten minutes later Captain Ben was surprised by 
seeing the men voluntarily return to their work, each 
jumping to it as if he had no other thought in mind 
than that of getting a full fare aboard the schooner 
at the earliest possible moment, and he said to him- 
self with an air of satisfaction: 

‘‘ They worked ’round into shape sooner than I 
expected, an’ it ’s a mighty good thing, for there ’s 
no knowin’ what might have happened if they ’d 
turned rusty.” 

Bob Ahearn, however, could have explained the 
situation in a way which would have caused Captain 
Ben decided uneasiness, for he overhead much of the 
conversation carried on in the galley, and had a very 
good idea of what plan was afoot. 

“ I reckon I ’d best hold my tongue for a spell, 
an’ see how she works. It ’s a shame to put any- 
thin’ in the way of their doin’ what ’s needed ; but the 
trouble is that my promise holds me on the other 
side.” 


CHAPTER XVIII. 


THE HOME PORT. 

It was as if the weather intervened to save Jerry 
Bates from the punishment he deserved, and which 
he would have in due time received. 

Before midnight the wind began to breeze up as it 
hauled around to the northeast, and the fish already 
aboard had not been cared for when Captain Ben sent 
out four of the dories to take in the trawls. 

“ I ’m allowin’ there ’ll be no fishin’ done to-morrow 
mornin’, if I ’ve read the glass aright, an’ it stands us 
in hand to make ready for heavy weather. Jump 
lively to it, boys, an’ get back as soon as may be, 
for Sable Island is a lee shore with the wind as it 
threatens.” 

With a full half of the crew in the dories, the work 
of dressing down lagged, and the gray light of a new 
day could already be seen in the eastern sky when the 
last of the take had been salted. 

By this time the dories had returned bringing the 
trawls, and also a considerable number of fish, all of 
which it was necessary to care for at once, for now 

the wind was whistling through the rigging omi- 
332 


THE HOME PORT. 


333 


nously, while the waves rolled high as they put on 
their white caps, giving even Tim to understand that 
there was a decided “ break in the weather.” 

All this while Jerry Bates had remained lashed to 
the mainmast. Early in the morning Abram fed him 
grudgingly with fried fish and potatoes, seasoning 
the meal with his comments upon trawl-cutters in 
general and Mr. Bates in particular, until the latter 
must have come to realize more fully than ever before 
the truth of the words : 

“ Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a 
stalled ox and hatred therewith.” 

When the dories had been hoisted in-board and 
nested, a half a dozen of the men were at work dress- 
ing down the catch last brought in. Captain Ben 
ordered Bob to make arrangements in the hold for the 
safe-keeping of the prisoner, and Ahearn, understand- 
ing what might take place, but not willing to betray 
his mates, said hesitatingly: 

“ It stands to reason, Cap’n, that I should know 
more about what ’s goin’ on jest at present than you, 
an’ I ’m allowin’ if you want to keep Bates safe an’ 
sound, he ’ll be better off in the cabin.” 

“ It ’ll be a bother to have him ’round there,” Cap- 
tain Ben said half to himself, and Bob added grimly : 

“ Ay, so it will ; but I ’m thinkin’ it ’s the only 
place if you don’t want that he should be mussed up.” 


334 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


The captain of the Hylow understood that Bob 
had good reason for speaking as he did, and, there- 
fore, without further parley set about making ready 
a bunk for the reception of the prisoner, after which 
he was carried below, still bound securely. 

“ It ’s goin’ to be a good bit of work lookin’ after 
that scoundrel,” the skipper said as he and Bob fin- 
ished the task, and stood looking down upon the surly 
sailor, who had never opened his mouth while being 
carried below, as if believing his silence might be 
annoying. “ But it ’s better we put ourselves out a 
good bit than have it said we did n’t know how to be- 
have as honest men should.” 

“ I ’m standin’ by ready to obey orders, Cap’n,” 
Bob replied sharply, “ an’ whatever you say goes, but 
it ’s jest as well to understand that I don’t hold to it 
we ’re actin’ like honest men. It seems to me like 
a chump trick to be so careful of him.” 

‘‘ Think what you please, Ahearn, so long as you 
stand up like a man behind me. I ’m guessin’ from 
what you did n’t say that it ’ll be safer for him if one 
or the other of us stays aft here while we ’re under 
way.” 

“ That ’s about the size of it,” Bob replied grimly, 
as he went out of the cabin to lend a hand to those 
who were dressing down, for unless the crew of the 
Hylow were willing to take more chances than was 


THE HOME PORT. 


335 


wise or safe, it stood them in hand to get the schooner 
under way very shortly. Already had she begun to 
drag the single anchor, and with shoals everywhere 
around further delay might find them in such a posi- 
tion that the most skilful seamanship would be of no 
avail. 

Ezra Snow was in a particularly bad temper be- 
cause it had become necessary to weigh anchor, and 
he had no hesitation in giving word to his wrath : 

‘‘ To think that we ’ve been layin’ here in what 
you might call a dead calm huntin’ for that beastly 
Bates, an’ now jest when we ’ve found him, an’ are 
gettin’ ready to deal out the dose he deserves, up 
comes a bloomin’ easterly wind that keeps the cap’n 
aboard! If the crew of this ’ere schooner were sich 
men as used to fish these banks, it ’d make mighty 
little difference whether Ben Willard was around or 
not, so far as servin’ out a trawl-cutter was 
concerned 1 ” 

“ It ’s no use for you to kick agin the weather, 
Ezra,” Mr. Doak said soothingly. “ When she gets 
ready to blow she ’s goin’ to blow, whether you like 
it or not, an’ I can’t see ’s you ’re in any hard lines, 
’cause there ’s like to be many a long day before we ’re 
homeward bound, when the cap’n won’t be ’round to 
interfere. Kind er keep your feelin’s down, else that 
cut in your neck ’ll give you a heap of trouble. I 


336 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


declare for it, if I had two sich men as you in the 
cuddy I ’d go stark, starin’ mad, for it ’s nothin’ but 
fret, fret, fret, from mornin’ till night, an’ all about 
that imitation fisherman that ain’t worth one wag of 
your tongue.” 

“ Now look here, Abram, you don’t want to stir me 
up, ’cause I ain’t in the mood to hear any of your idle 
talk. I ’ve got to lay here helpless as a log, fig- 
gerin’ how we can give Bates a lesson that he won’t 
forget.” 

“ Well, I allow you ’ll have time enough, Ezra, 
’cordin’ to all the weather predictions that are floaty 
in’ ’round this ’ere schooner, for it seems to be the 
opinion of all hands that the season is turned upside 
down, an’ we ’re gettin’ nor’easters when we ought’er 
have southerly breezes.” 

“ It ’s all in keepin’ with the rest,” Mr. Snow mut- 
tered. “ First comes Jim Sullivan with his cheap 
talk to give the cruise a black eye. Then Seth 
breaks his leg, an’ me bein’ cut within an inch of 
my life, till I declare I can’t untangle things. 
There ’s some mighty bad sign in all this, but I ’m 
’fraid I won’t be able to come at it till it ’s too late 
to prevent everythin’ from goin’ to smash.” 

At this point Tim entered the cuddy with the re- 
port that things had been made snug for putting to 


sea. 


THE HOME PORT. 


337 

“We ’ll be jumpin’ to it in a minute now,” he said 
gleefully. “ I wanted to stay on deck to see ’em 
make sail, but Bob Ahearn would have it I must come 
below, jest as if I could n’t take care of myself 
by this time, no matter how much of a sea is bein’ 
kicked up.” 

“ You ’re safer below. One-one-four, for you don’t 
rightly know how a craft of this size, in shoal water 
sich as we have on the Banks, can jump ’round when 
the wind ’s jest right for it, an’ I allow Cap’n Ben ’ll 
drive her till he gets water enough under the keel,” 
and Mr. Doak set about securing everything that 
was in danger of fetching away. 

Then Tim gave his whole attention to Seth, who 
had not ventured to make any conversation while the 
men were at such a pitch of excitement and anger, 
and the lad whispered in a tone of relief as he 
pressed Tim’s hand: 

“ I ’m mighty glad to have somebody to talk with, 
Timmy, for it ’s been awful bearin’ the men threat- 
enin’ what they ’ll do to Bates, an’ Mr. Snow ’s the 
worst of the whole lot. Do you believe they ’ll mur- 
der him ? ” 

“ He ought’er be half killed,” Tim replied, feeling 
quite as bitter against Bates as did any of the crew; 
“ but I don’t allow they ’ll do him any harm while 
we ’re under way, for Cap’n Ben ’s made up his 


32 


338 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


mind, an’ I guess he ’s jest like a mule when he gets 
started.” 

It was a case of “ all hands on deck ” until the 
Hylow was in deep water, and as he peered now and 
then out through the companion-hatch, Tim under- 
stood why Bob had insisted so strongly upon his go- 
ing below. As the schooner ran southward to clear 
the shoals it was as if she literally lay on one side, and 
the boiling, yeasty waves seemingly had free sweep 
over her from port to within four or five feet of the 
starboard rail. Life-lines were hove, for the man 
who missed his footing on that steep deck could have 
looked for no aid from his mates, and Ahearn and 
Joe Barker, who stood at the wheel, were lashed there 
firmly, now and then only the upper part of their 
bodies showing above the swirl of the waters. 

“ This gale seems to be worse than the other,” Tim 
said as he stepped back into the cuddy, and Ezra 
explained : 

‘‘ It ’s ’cause we ’re on the Banks, lad, an’ the sea ’s 
always nastier in shoal water; but once let us get a 
good offin’ an’ she ’ll ride more easy.” 

Two hours later Ahearn and his dory-mate came 
forward to mug-up, and the former said in reply to 
Ezra’s questions: 

“ It looks to me mightily as if the cap’n was count- 
in’ on makin’ Halifax, most likely to get rid of Bates. 



THE “ HYLOW'’ 


IN BAD WEATHER 




THE HOME PORT. 


339 


Otherwise we would n’t be runnin’ before it as we 
have been since she was hauled ’round.” 

This information excited Ezra Snow’s ire anew, 
and he declaimed against the captain’s caring so 
tenderly for the prisoner, until even those of his 
mates who were much in the same way of thinking 
grew weary of so many words, and insisted that he 
‘‘ give his tongue a rest.” 

If the crew of the Hylow could have heard the con- 
versation which took place in the cabin shortly after 
the schooner was put before the wind, they might 
have been even more bitter in their denunciation of 
Captain Ben, for he did neither more nor less than 
bargain with the man who had striven his best to 
make of the cruise a failure. 

“ There ’s no need for me to say. Bates, that the 
men are bent on givin’ you the roughest kind of an 
overhaulin’, an’ you ’d been in their hands yesterday 
if I had n’t stood strong against it.” 

“ Nobody asked you to interfere,” the prisoner 
said in a surly tone, and Captain Ben, evidently 
striving to control his temper, replied: 

“ That ’s true, an’ it ’s also a fact that I don’t 
stand between you an’ them because of thinkin’ 
they ’re in the wrong. It ’d be no more ’n simple 
justice if I should let them have their will on you. 
What I ’m drivin’ at is to keep ’em from doin’ what 


340 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


they ’d be ashamed of later. You deserve all that ’s 
cornin’ your way, an’ perhaps if this was n’t the first 
cruise of the Hylow^ I might n’t be makin’ so strong 
a stand. As it is, however, I ’m minded to put you 
ashore if you ’ll sign a paper showin’ that you went 
of your own free will, with no claim against the ves- 
sel whatsoever.” 

“ You must think I ’m a fool to sign away what ’s 
cornin’ to me by rights.” 

“ You can do as you please ; but I ’m tellin’ you 
there ’s nothin’ belongin’ to you by rights, except 
the floggin’ all hands are achin’ to give. If I carry 
you to the home port, it ’ll be a case of gettin’ a 
warrant against you, an’ unless I ’m out of my reck- 
onin’, you ’ll serve six months, if not more, for mali- 
cious mischief, with never a show of a dollar cornin’ 
your way. I ’m not goin’ to beg of you, ’cause I ’m 
only doin’ this thing to save your skin, an’ I ’ll not 
give you another chance. If you ’re minded to do as 
I ’ve said, I ’ll set the course for Halifax ; but it ’ll 
be a case of puttin’ you ashore at the entrance of the 
harbor, for I ’ve promised not to make P9rt on this 
cruise, ’cept I was driven to it by stress of weather.” 

Bates remained silent a full minute, and taking 
this as proof that he did not intend to follow the ad- 
vice given. Captain Ben turned to go on deck. 

“ Hold on ! I ’ll sign what you ’ve been talkin’ 


THE HOME PORT, 


341 


’bout ; but it ’s a low down trick to play on a man.” 

“ You can’t rightly call yourself a man after all 
that ’s been done, Bates, an’ I ’m makin’ a fool of my- 
self by tryin’ to get you out of the scrape with whole 
bones. But it shall be done, for, while I ’m not as 
superstitious as is Ezra, it looks to me a good deal 
like bad luck to let the men work their will on you, 
however much you deserve the harshest treatment that 
can be dealt out.” 

Then the captain wrote that which Bates had 
agreed to sign, taking precautions lest the Hylow 
should be liable for the wages alleged to be due, 
and the trawl-cutter’s bonds were so far released as 
to admit of his signing the paper. 

An hour later, when Bob came aft, the captain told 
him what he proposed to do, and Ahearn, without 
making any comment, said in a questioning tone: 

“ Then you ’re really goin’ to make port after all.^ ” 

‘‘Not a bit of it. He shall be set ashore jest in- 
side the harbor, an’ there ’ll be a cleaner taste in my 
mouth after we ’re rid of the scoundrel. I ’m free 
to admit that the men have every right to be angry 
because of my interference ; but it ’s the first cruise 
of the Hylow, Bob ” 

“ Yes, I know how you feel, Cap’n. The best of 
us are superstitious now an’ then. Who ’s to set 
Bates ashore ? ” 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


342 


“ I can’t trust any one but you.” 

“ Are you allowin’ I ’ll do it alone ? ” 

“ Oh, no ! Take Joe Barker. You can keep him 
straight, can’t you ? ” 

“ I won’t answer for it; but I ’ll keep straight my- 
self, an’ that ought’er be promise enough.” 

Now, lest we are spending too many words over 
Jerry Bates, let us come to an end of him, so far as 
the Hylow and her crew are concerned, as speedily as 
possible, by saying that during the next night the 
schooner stood inside Halifax harbor only so far as 
was necessary to find comparatively still water, and 
then Aheam and Barker pulled ashore with the trawl- 
cutter, who still remained fettered lest he should 
be so unwise as to make any resistance. 

When he was brought on deck the crew of the 
Hylow were not chary in expressing their opinion of 
him, and in telling what they would do by way of 
reprisal at some future time; but he very wisely re- 
frained from making any reply. 

Nearly an hour elapsed before Bob and Joe re- 
turned. Then the dory was hoisted in-board, and the 
schooner sailed out into the night and the storm. 

When Ahearn went into the cuddy for a mug of 
coffee, Ezra asked eagerly: 

“ What did you do to the reptile.? ” 

“ I never put my finger on the duffer, ’cept to help 


THE HOME PORT. 


343 


lift him ashore, ’cause I ’d given my word to Cap’n 
Ben.” 

‘‘ Then he got off scot free after all.” 

Well, as to that I can’t say, Ezra. Joe staid 
behind to take off the ropes, an’ I pulled out from the 
shore a bit, so ’s the dory should n’t rub on the rocks. 
What Joe might have done I would n’t say ; but he 
was nigh to half an hour untyin’ three or four knots, 
in case that ’s all he did.” 

“ I untied ’em all right,” Joe added, and Ezra 
cried anxiously: 

“ Did you give him one for me, lad.'’ ” 

‘‘ There was n’t time to square up all the accounts ; 
but I reckon he won’t cut any more trawls belongin’ 
to this schooner,” Joe Barker replied, and there the 
conversation regarding Jerry Bates ended on board 
the Hylow, save when Ezra, having nothing better 
to do, spent his time in explaining how it was his in- 
tention to serve the trawl-cutter out if he should be 
so fortunate as to come across at some time in the 
future. 

And now, because from the time Jerry Bates was 
set ashore until the Hylow was made fast at Custom- 
house wharf, full to the hatches, nothing of particu- 
lar interest occurred, it seems best to make no 
attempt at describing all that took place while she 
remained on Sable Island Bank. 


344 . 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


There were good fishing days and bad fishing days ; 
times when the dories returned from the trawls laden 
to the gunwale, and then again came in with only 
half a catch; but whether the luck was good or bad, 
the crew were all the while adding to the cargo until 
the day came when it seemed impossible to jam an- 
other cask into her hold. During this time Ezra had 
so far recovered from his wound as to be on deck, 
but Captain Ben would not permit him to do any 
heavy work, and Seth, with a pair of crutches fash- 
ioned by Bob Ahearn, could, when the Hylow re- 
mained on an even keel, move about very nearly 
at will. 

In fact, as Tim expressed it, “ the hospital was 
shut down,” and save for Mr. Snow’s ardent desire 
to “ have it out ” with Bates at some future time, 
every person aboard the schooner was in the best of 
spirits when she made Monhegan. 

One-one-four had no fear as to the future, because 
in a conversation with Captain Ben during the run 
the latter had said to him : 

“ Bob Ahearn shall go home with you an’ explain 
to your parents just how it happened that you stowed 
away aboard the schooner. An’ he ’s to do more 
than that. One-one-four, for I ’ve told him to ask your 
father’s permission for you to ship with me another 
cruise.” 


THE HOME PORT, 


345 


‘‘ Would you really want me to come, Cap’n Ben? ” 
Tim cried as his eyes glistened with joy. 

“ Indeed I would, lad, an’ I ’ll give you a fair lay. 
I don’t know what kind of a fist you may have made 
at the district-messenger business but I ’ll say this 
for you, that I never saw a lad aboard ship who was 
more ready an’ willin’ to work than you. I ’m 
countin’ that by this time next year, if so be you stick 
to fishin’, your lay ’ll be as big as Ahearn’s, an’ that ’s 
say in’ a good bit, for there ’s no better fisherman on 
the Maine coast than that same Bob.” 

“ What do you s’pose we ’re goin’ to do with 
Seth? ” Tim asked, thinking of his friend even at the 
moment of his own triumph. 

Of course the lad’s got no hold on us, seein’ ’s he 
was a stowaway, an’ has not been able, on ’count of 
gettin’ his leg broke, to do any part of the work ; but 
all the same we of the Hylow kind er look on him as 
belongin’ to us. It ’s agreed that every man is to 
pay his share, with the schooner’s three shares, for 
his keep till he can come across his uncle, an’ I ’ll 
’tend to the business of lettin’ his folks know where he 
is. There ain’t any question but that your mother ’ll 
take him to board till his affairs are straightened out, 
’cause he ’s as good-natured an’ harmless as a kitten 
— a lad who would n’t be in anybody’s way however 
much of a hullaballoo was goin’ on. Bob ’ll explain 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


sm 

all that to your folks, so I reckon it can be settled 
without any trouble.” 

Tim did not stop to ask any questions concerning 
his own future, so eager was he to impart the good 
tidings to Seth, for the lad had been decidedly anx- 
ious, ever since the schooner was homeward bound, 
concerning the possibility of his being able to pro- 
vide for himself while yet a cripple. 

“ My, but Cap’n Ben has fixed it nice ! ” Seth said 
with a long-drawn sigh of relief when Tim breath- 
lessly repeated that which had been said to him, “ an’ 
to think that the crew are willin’ to help me out ! ” 

“Why shouldn’t they be, lad.^^ It ain’t often we 
buck up agin such a decently behaved kid as you 
are,” Abram said in a fatherly tone as he set about 
making the last chowder of the cruise. “ I ain’t 
say in’ but that you might’er turned out different if 
your leg had n’t been broken an’ you could ’ve tod- 
dled ’round to get into mischief ; but I ’m free to ad- 
mit that you stood the hurt better ’n anybody I ever 
heard of, an’ the little this ’ere crew will have 
to put out for your keep ain’t a drop in the bucket 
as compared with the soothin’ influence you ’ve had 
on ’em.” 

“ I ’d like to know how I ’ve soothed anybody ? ” 
Seth said, half laughing, half crying. 

“ Why, lad, it was jest like takin’ a dose of pare- 


THE HOME PORT. 


347 


goric to see you layin’ there in the bunk with your 
leg tied up, an’ never a whimper out of your mouth. 
Time an’ time agin I ’ve gone to sleep jest by lookin’ 
at you, you was so soothin’ like.” 

“ Say, Seth,” Tim cried merrily, “ if all Abram 
says is true, I wonder why you could n’t let yourself 
out for babies to look at when they get to cuttin’ up.” 

“ I ’ll venture to say he would n’t make a bad fist at 
that kind of business,” Mr. Snow exclaimed, entering 
the cuddy just at this moment. “ After I ’ve settled 
with Jim Sullivan for biddin’ me good-bye, an’ tanned 
the hide of Jerry Bates in behalf of the crew as well 
as myself, an’ ’tended to two or three other little 
things of that kind, I ’m goin’ to spend a good deal 
of time with Seth while we ’re ashore, seein’ s how I 
ain’t overly strong an’ have got to take pretty good 
care of myself, so if there ’s any show of his goin’ 
inter the baby-soothin’ business I ’ll be on hand to 
give him a recommend.” 

The Hylow had a head wind for entering Portland 
harbor, but Captain Ben refused the assistance of a 
tug-boat that hailed him, saying that a few hours 
more or less would make very little difference in the 
sale of his cargo, and the steamer went on her noisy 
way, reporting on arrival that Captain Ben Willard 
was off Portland Head. All of which serves to ac- 


348 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


count for what, a short time later, Tim and Seth 
thought very curious. 

When the Hylow was being docked at Custom- 
house wharf, and the two boys stood on the deck 
wondering why there had been so little change in the 
appearance of the city during their absence, Tim 
cried excitedly as he pointed to one of two men who 
were watching the schooner: 

“ There ’s father ! How do you s’pose he hap- 
pened to be here jest at this time? ” 

“There’s Uncle Joshua!” Seth exclaimed. “He 
must have been waitin’ right here for me ever since he 
came from Liverpool 1 ” 

“ Hello, Cap’n Willard ! I see you ’ve got a boy 
of mine aboard there,” Mr. Jones cried, greeting the 
master of the Hylow as an old friend, and the latter 
replied : 

“We ’ve got him all right, Jones, an’ count on 
keepin’ him, if so be you don’t make too many objec- 
tions. Come aboard, an’ we ’ll tell you the story. 
He ’s been a little worked up fearin’ that you might 
think he deliberately run away from home.” 

Ten minutes later Tim and Seth were wondrously 
happy boys, one nestling by the side of his father, 
and the other standing with his uncle’s arm affection- 
ately around his neck, and then came explanations 


THE HOME PORT. 


349 


which, since they were interrupted by many questions 
and exclamations of surprise, it seems best to set 
down in as few words as possible. 

Seth’s uncle arrived in Portland on the steamer 
following the Levoniay and there had little difficulty 
in learning the whereabouts of his nephew. The of- 
ficers of the steamship made thorough search after 
discovering that he had escaped, and by dint of ques- 
tioning had come to know that he was last seen on 
Custom-house wharf near the schooner Hylow. 

They had, in their investigations, seen Tim’s 
father who, when the lad failed to return home at the 
proper time, went directly to them with the story 
which One-one-four had told his mother. After 
this it was easy to guess that the two lads had 
sailed, whether by permission or not, with Captain 
Willard. 

Then came Seth’s uncle, and he as a matter of 
course made inquiries for his nephew at the office of 
the steamship, whereupon all that they had learned 
was told. It was only necessary for him to visit the 
Jones family in order to have every fear regarding 
his nephew set at rest. Then he went home, for, 
singularly enough, it was in Portland that he lived, 
and if the officers of the steamship had bethought 
themselves to look in the city directory they would 


350 


ABOARD THE HYLOW, 


have found printed there the name “ Joshua Garland, 
Manufacturer of Marine Hardware.” 

Mr. Jones, who was in the employ of the Grand 
Trunk Railway, had left word along the water front 
that he be notified whenever Captain Ben Willard 
was reported, and the tug having brought news of 
the schooner’s arrival, he and Mr. Garland were en- 
abled to meet the stowaways as the vessel came into 
dock. 

After all this had been told, Seth was eager to 
know how it chanced that his uncle had apparently 
deserted him, and the matter was explained in a few 
words. Mr. Garland, on going ashore from the 
steamer after leaving Seth in the cabin, had asked 
one of the employees on the dock as to the precise 
time when the Levonia would depart, and the man, 
ignorant or careless, had replied readily, as if there 
was no question whatsoever about it: 

“ She ’ll start at two o’clock.” 

As a matter of fact the advertised time for sailing 
was one p.m., and promptly at that hour her voyage 
was begun. Mr. Garland arrived at the dock ten 
minutes too late. 

Seth had no desire to become a fisherman, prefer- 
ring rather to go into his uncle’s office with a view to 
learning the business ; but Master Jones, whose par- 


THE HOME PORT. 


351 


ents had been won over to the scheme since his heart 
seemed so thoroughly set upon it, was allowed to ship 
for the second cruise the Hylow made. How well he 
succeeded it is impossible to say, because the schooner 
will probably not return for two weeks or more, but 
when she does come any information which may be 
desired concerning him will be cheerfully given. 

On the day she sailed Seth was, as can readily be 
fancied, on the deck to see his friend set off as a real 
fisherman, and the two lads were talking privately 
a few minutes before the schooner was hauled out into 
the stream, when Ezra Snow’s head appeared in the 
cuddy-companion, as he cried sharply: 

Have a care there, Seth ; put a stopper on your 
tongue if you ’ve any idee of sayin’ good-bye, for you 
know what them words brought us the first cruise.” 

“Did you see Jim Sullivan?” Seth asked with a 
laugh, and Ezra replied ruefully: 

“ That I did, lad ; but as luck would have it Cap’n 
Ben’s old black cat came rubbin’ ’round my legs five 
minutes before I met him, an’ the consequence was 
that he pretty nigh fitted me out for the horspitle.” 

“Have you seen anything of Jerry Bates?” 

“ There, now you ’re cornin’ to what I call the 
worst kind of a hard luck story ! You know there 
was a new moon night before last, an’ I must needs 
go an’ see it over my left shoulder full an’ plain. 


352 


ABOARD THE HYLOW. 


Then, lo an’ behold, half an hour later, who should 
I stagger up agin but that bloomin’ trawl-cutter. 
My eye ’s got over bein’ black now, but it was a sight 
for a while. I ’m countin’ things ’ll run better this 
cruise, ’cause I crossed my fingers an’ got ’em on a 
hunch-backed man jest the very minute I spit, so 
’cordin’ to all the signs, this ’s goin’ to be a lucky 
cruise.” 





StP 3 w«7 













